Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what monitoring mechanisms exist to ensure that UK-funded activities in France, whether involving public authorities or private contractors, do not contribute to human rights violations against people on the move.

France is a key partner in tackling OIC and joint work is seeing French personnel being deployed, supported by cutting-edge surveillance technologies and equipment; and more work is being done to disrupt organised criminal gangs through improved intelligence sharing.

Details of UK funding to France and its purpose are publicly available here:

• 28 November 2020, the UK pledged €31.4 million

• 20 July 2021, the UK pledged €62.7 million.

• 14 November 2022, the UK pledged €72.2 million.

• 10 March 2023, UK pledged €141m for 2023/24 and €191m for 2024/25.

The Government ensures that UK funded activities to prevent small boat crossings comply with human rights obligations through regular engagement with French counterparts, robust governance arrangements within the agreements, and ongoing monitoring and review processes to identify and address any potential risks promptly. These measures collectively safeguard against any breach of human rights while supporting the objectives of the agreements.