To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much of the funding allocated to border security in northern France under the (a) 2015 Joint Declaration, (b) 2018 Sandhurst Agreement and (c) 2019 Joint Action Plan have been spent; and if she will provide a breakdown of that spending.
Answered on
19 May 2020
As of May 2020, the full package of funding committed under the Joint Declaration (2015), the Sandhurst Treaty (2018) and Joint Action Plan on small boats (2019) has been spent, representing a total investment of €68.6 million.
This funding has been utilised to implement the obligations as detailed in the agreements, including investments in improving border infrastructure at the ports of Calais and Dunkirk, the delivery of strategic communications campaigns, cooperation on return charter flights, and developing access to French asylum services.
The funding allocated under the Joint Action Plan was committed to the delivery of strategic communications campaign as well as the purchase of equipment to improve detections of boats making crossings.