An astonishing 62% of all money spent on patrolling northern France was paid by UK taxpayers, it has been revealed. The French government confirmed that £155million of the £250million paid to fund police patrols, security equipment, sea rescues and new infrastructure came from the UK.

The funding comes from the £475 million three-year agreement established by Rishi Sunak in March 2023 to combat illegal immigration. Laurent Touvet, head of the French interior ministry’s DGEF migration directorate, confirmed the amount in a meeting on Franco-British co-operation on cross-Channel migration.

He said: “It is estimated that the United Kingdom’s contribution to the fight against illegal immigration is around 62% of the total, with 38% being France’s responsibility.”

The agreement is due to expire at the end of this month, with a replacement yet to be finalised.

In a joint declaration issued last July, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron said a new three-year funding arrangement covering 2026 to 2029 would be agreed “as soon as possible.”

It comes amid growing questions over the effectiveness of UK-France co-operation in tackling Channel crossings.

New figures released by the Home Office on Thursday show that just 377 migrants who arrived in small boats have been returned to France under the “one in, one out” scheme agreed by Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron last July.

That represents around 2% of the 18,790 migrants who have reached the UK in small boats since the agreement came into force in August.

Under the reciprocal terms of the arrangement, France has transferred 380 asylum seekers to Britain.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced new legislation to overhaul Britain’s asylum system as she pushes for “firm but fair” action on migration.

Ms Mahmood wants to make the UK a less attractive destination for illegal immigrants.

Under new plans announced earlier this month, people granted asylum in the UK will have their refugee status reviewed every 30 months, while refugees whose countries are deemed safe will be expected to return home.

Under current rules, those granted refugee status have it for five years and can apply for indefinite leave to remain and get on a route to citizenship.

Under the new policy, refugees will need to renew their permission to stay or apply for a visa route like any other legal migrant, including paying associated fees.

The Home Secretary believes the Government must cut migration, or she believes it will risk opening the door to the right who would divide communities with the kind of anti-immigration raids seen in the US.

The Government hopes the reforms – to be introduced through an Immigration Rules change – will make the UK less attractive for illegal immigrants.