Numbers of officers in northern France will increase by 40% over the coming months as a result of UK funding to step up action to reduce illegal small boat crossings, following a new UK and France agreement signed today.

The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, is in France today (Monday 14 November) to finalise the arrangement with the French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. The new agreement lays the foundations for deeper UK-French co-operation to tackle illegal migration and marks the next step for the close operational partnership between the 2 countries which has prevented over 30,000 crossings this year.

The arrangement means, for the first time, specialist UK officers will also be embedded with their French counterparts, which will increase information sharing, improve understanding of the threat, and ensure UK expertise is at the heart of efforts to disrupt crossings and clamp down on people smugglers. This more integrated approach will also include strengthened operational co-operation, including joint UK-France analysis teams supporting the co-ordination and exchange of information by French-command HQ.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

We must do everything we can to stop people making these dangerous journeys and crack down on the criminal gangs. This is a global challenge requiring global solutions, and it is in the interests of both the UK and French governments to work together to solve this complex problem.

There are no quick fixes, but this new arrangement will mean we can significantly increase the number of French gendarmes patrolling the beaches in northern France and ensure UK and French officers are working hand in hand to stop the people smugglers.

Joint working between UK and French officers so far has secured more than 140 convictions connected to people smuggling since the start of 2020 – and these criminals now face a combined 400 years behind bars.

The UK-France Joint Intelligence Cell, which has so far dismantled 55 organised crime groups and secured over 500 arrests since its inception in 2020, will also be expanded.

This latest multi-year arrangement between France and the UK is worth up to 72.2 million euros in 2022 to 2023. It will strengthen security at ports to help clamp down on illegal entry by funding investment in cutting edge surveillance technology, drones, detection dog teams, CCTV and helicopters to help detect and prevent crossings.

It will also go towards supporting reception and removal centres in France for migrants whose journeys to the UK are prevented, to further deter crossing attempts.

A new taskforce will also be set up, focused on reversing the recent rise in Albanian nationals and organised crime groups exploiting illegal migration routes into Western Europe and the UK.

This enhanced approach will boost joint British and French collaboration, which has already prevented over 30,000 illegal crossing attempts since the start of the year – more than 50% more than at the same stage last year.

The renewed partnership marks the next step in joint efforts to reduce these dangerous crossings and paves the way for deeper co-operation between the 2 countries in future, looking ahead to next year’s UK-France leaders’ summit.

The Home Secretary will travel to Frankfurt later this week, where she will meet her international counterparts from the G7 to discuss a range of priority issues including tackling serious organised crime. She will also meet with neighbouring countries as soon as possible as part of the UK’s ongoing co-operation with European partners to drive progress on the issue of illegal migration.

The UK’s work with international partners is a key part of the government’s wide-ranging approach to fix the broken asylum system, break the business model of people smugglers facilitating these journeys and clamp down on illegal migration.

This includes the measures introduced through the Nationality and Borders Act to prevent abuse of the system, such as introducing life sentences for people smugglers and increasing the maximum penalty for entering the UK illegally, as well as our world leading partnership with Rwanda which will see migrants who make these unnecessary journeys relocated there to have their claims considered and rebuild their lives.

Thousands more students will benefit from high quality language teaching as part of a programme to boost the number of pupils taking languages like French, German and Spanish at GCSE and A level.

Leading schools in language teaching will form a new Centre of Excellence, comprised of up to 25 schools, which will work with other schools to improve standards of language teaching across the country in line with the teaching methods set out in Ian Bauckham’s 2016 Modern Foreign Languages Pedagogy Review. The programme will be backed by £14.9 million over the next three years, which will also aim to raise interest in studying German.

The programme will deliver on the pledge made in the Schools White Paper to create a network of language hubs and build significantly on the previous Modern Foreign Languages Hubs programme, which was made up of nine lead schools.

Languages are a key part of a broad and balanced curriculum and evidence suggests learning a language has strong economic benefits, including improving international trade. The British Council also identified that Spanish, Mandarin, French, Arabic, and German are the top five priority languages to improve the UK’s skills, security and influence in the world.

This initiative will support the Department for Education’s ambition that 90% of year 10 pupils in state-funded schools study a combination of the core academic subjects as part of the EBacc by 2025, which includes a language.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

In an increasingly globalised economy, it has never been more important for our pupils to be taught modern foreign languages. There is mounting evidence which shows the economic benefits of learning an additional language.

This programme will give teachers the rigorous training and knowledge they need to support pupils in learning some of the most prominent global languages such as French, German and Spanish.

The Centre will be overseen by a centre of language teaching expertise – which could be a range of institutions including a trust, university or business – and will bid for the contract launched today (Monday 14 November).

The scheme will also raise the profile of learning German in schools including increasing awareness of the benefits of studying it, by setting up a German Promotion Project. Included within the investment, this project worth £400,000, will involve increasing the number of German teachers in schools and will champion German as a subject. 

The Department has successfully launched Hubs Programmes for other subjects in the curriculum including English and mathematics, linking schools across the country to subject specialist schools – also known as Lead Hubs – which can support in increasing the quality of teaching.

The Lead Hubs will engage with schools to improve the languages offer and ensure more effective transition from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3, as well as ensuring pupils aged 14-18 from all backgrounds have the opportunity to study languages through to Key Stage 5.

Additional information

• Schools and organisations wanting to apply to run the Language Hubs Programme can do so via Jaggaer.
• The Invitation to Tender application will be open for 30 days and we will announce the successful Tender in early 2023.
• EBacc subjects, which include English, mathematics, science, humanities and languages, are considered essential for many degrees, providing opportunities and a sound basis for a variety of careers.
• This Government has already made languages a priority and since the EBacc performance measures were first introduced in 2010, the proportion of pupils entering the EBacc has increased from 22% in 2010 to 39% in 2022 in state funded schools.

• Trade Secretary will use first trip to Washington D.C. to promote importance of trade as a force for security and prosperity
• Badenoch to meet key US political figures, members of Congress and investors during visit
• Trade Secretary will also discuss how to get more women-owned businesses trading internationally at Washington Post Global Women’s Summit

Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch MP visits Washington DC today (Mon 14 November) to promote UK-US trade and encourage western allies to do more together to future-proof the global economy against shocks.

On her first visit to DC in the role, she will make a speech at the free market think tank Cato Institute, telling US political figures that now is the time for allies to face down protectionism and promote strong trading alliances to challenge the increasing threat of authoritarian states.

She will say the UK and US will work together to future-proof their economies by shaping the global rules of trade, promoting more diverse, resilient supply chains, investing in cutting-edge technology that will support jobs of the future, and protecting our long-term energy security.

The US is the UK’s largest trading partner, and every day more than one million people get up and go to work for British companies in America, and almost 1.5 million people do the same for American companies in the UK.

Kemi Badenoch will use meetings on the Hill with senior representatives of both parties to make the case for boosting our transatlantic trade relationship even further in the years ahead.

Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch MP said:

The US and UK share the same values – freedom and free trade – and the result is a partnership more important than any other in the world.

I’m in DC to boost our trading relationship further and work with allies on critically important issues like strengthening supply chains, protecting our long-term energy security and creating jobs in industries of the future.

Both the UK and the US know we cannot have security at home without security abroad, and we need to make the global economy resilient to future shocks. Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and show how muscular liberalism and free trade are a force for good in the world.

While there Trade Secretary Badenoch is due to meet with US Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo, and members of the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee.

She will also speak at a US Chamber of Commerce roundtable event with key US businesses to promote the UK’s low-tax, high-talent, business friendly environment and highly innovative economy.

Badenoch will also discuss how trade policy can break down barriers for women as business owners, entrepreneurs, and consumers at the Washington Post Global Women’s Summit, at which Hillary Clinton is also set to appear.

The visit follows a series of successful transatlantic trade talks between the UK and US which have delivered the removal of harmful 232 tariffs on UK steel, an end to the 25-year ban on British lamb, and the suspension of harmful 25% tariffs on UK products like Scotch Whisky.

The UK is also pursuing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with individual US states to unlock barriers to business and pave the way for more UK and US businesses to invest, export, expand, and create jobs. We have already signed MoUs with Indiana and North Carolina this year, with more to follow soon and ongoing engagement with states including South Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah, Washington, Texas, and Oregon.

• Members of the Royal Family and senior politicians will lay wreaths at the Cenotaph
• Around 10,000 Royal British Legion veterans will march past the Cenotaph to pay tribute to their fallen comrades

A national two-minute silence led by His Majesty The King will take place across the UK today as the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph takes place to remember all those who have died in conflict since the First World War.

As well as the two-minute silence taking place at 11am, wreaths will be laid by Members of the Royal Family, senior politicians and faith representatives at the Cenotaph. Approximately 10,000 Royal British Legion veterans, representing 300 different Armed Forces and civilian organisations, will take part in the March Past; they will be joined by an estimated 10,000 members of the public who will line Whitehall to watch the service.

Among those marching will be 100-year-old Second World War veterans and those who served in recent conflicts including in Afghanistan. 400 members of the South Atlantic Medal Association will march past the Cenotaph to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War. They will also be joined by bereaved family members with the youngest marcher aged eight years old.

For those unable to travel to London for the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph or to attend their local Remembrance Sunday service, the national event will be broadcast live on BBC One, Sky and ITV as well as on YouTube.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

This year more than ever, we are reminded of the huge debt of gratitude we owe those who lay down their lives to protect their country.

As we fall silent together on Remembrance Sunday, we will honour the memories of the men and women we have lost and pay tribute to the brave soldiers of Ukraine as they continue their fight for freedom.

Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said:

Remembrance Sunday gives us the chance to come together to remember all those who have fought for the freedoms we enjoy today. This year’s service is particularly poignant as we think of our friends and allies in Ukraine.

I would encourage everyone, no matter where they are, to come together in silence at 11am to remember and give thanks for the sacrifices made by so many.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

Remembrance Sunday is a time to reflect upon the sacrifices made by our veterans and service personnel on operations around the world. We must never forget those who gave their lives in defence of our values and our great nation.

All of us will also be thinking of those brave Ukrainians who are fighting for their very own survival to defend freedom and democracy for all, just as the UK and Commonwealth soldiers did in both world wars.

Today, members of the UK Armed Forces at Cenotaph and around the world will come together to honour all those who came before them.

The Royal British Legion’s Director of Remembrance, Philippa Rawlinson said:

As we come together on Remembrance Sunday, we pay tribute to Her Late Majesty The Queen, The Royal British Legion’s Patron of 70 years and longest serving Commander-in-Chief of the British military.

Her Late Majesty was dedicated to duty and epitomised the service and commitment shown by our Armed Forces community, thousands of who will march past the Cenotaph where she laid her wreath each year.

Her Late Majesty’s deep bond with the military lives on with His Majesty The King and The Royal Family. Similar Royal British Legion ceremonies will be uniting communities across the nation in Remembrance and today is an opportunity for us all to take a moment to reflect on the sacrifices of all those who serve, past and present.