British and French border officers set to work together over migration

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed a new migrant deal on Monday that could see British border officials embedded with their French counterparts. Downing Street said that Britain and France were in the ‘final stages’ of a deal to tackle the rise in small boat crossings.Mr Sunak and Mr Macron met face-to-face for the first time at the COP27 climate summit in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.The Prime Minister said that he was leaving with ‘renewed confidence and optimism” that by working with the French and other European countries ‘we can make a difference, grip this challenge of illegal migration and stop people coming illegally”.As part of the deal, UK Border Force and immigration intelligence officials could join French patrols as ‘observers’ in an attempt to stop migrants crossing the English Channel.Currently, around 44 percent of migrants are stopped from leaving France by the authorities. Rishi Sunak speaking at the COP27 conference on Monday (Image: Getty Images ) Rishi Sunak and Emmanuel Macron meeting on Monday (Image: Getty Images )However, although France has prevented 29,000 migrants from crossing the Channel, just under 40,000 have reached the UK.According to The Daily Telegraph, there were 6,273 migrants who crossed the Channel in August compared to 3,015 in August 2021.This was a significant increase from July when 3,683 crossed the Channel.Ministers are also considering a proposal for a ‘joint control centre’ to control operations in the Channel which would include patrols, drones and satellite surveillance.READ MORE: Boris Johnson a US favourite: Exclusive poll has him as popular choice Rishi Sunak with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni on Monday (Image: Getty Images ) Rishi Sunak with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday (Image: Getty Images )Both of these proposals avoid directly putting British boots on the ground, something that has been resisted by the French citing concerns over sovereignty.Mr Sunak emphasised that migration is a multinational issue that requires cooperation across borders.He said: “This is an issue that affects many countries.”And actually I’ve been talking to other European leaders as well about our shared challenge of tackling illegal migration.DON’T MISS: Sturgeon skewered over COP27 visit – ‘Could you do that remotely’ [REVEAL] POLL: Should Gavin Williamson be sacked for ‘unacceptable’ texts? [INSIGHT] Gavin Williamson denies ‘slit your throat’ claim [SPOTLIGHT]  Migrants in northern France attempting to cross the English Channel last month (Image: Getty Images )”And I think there is an opportunity for us to work closely, not just with the French but with other countries as well.”It comes as immigration minister Robert Jenrick has hinted that large asylum centres could be built around the UK.He said that he was aiming to ‘exit’ migrants from hotels as soon as possible and was looking at ‘larger sites that provide decent but not luxurious accommodation’.