Rishi Sunak to sweet-talk Macron on joint efforts to stop migrant crossings at Paris meeting

RISHI Sunak will sweet-talk Emmanuel Macron on joint efforts to stop migrant crossings when they meet for a crunch summit in Paris TODAY.

The PM is expected to announce a £200 million deal with France to manage the small boats crisis.

Mr Sunak will spend the cash on police, intelligence and security to stop migrants "at source" and prevent them making the perilous journey across the channel.

The money is expected to be handed over to Paris as part of a three-year deal.

The agreement, which will include hundreds of extra French police patrolling beaches, aims to "break" the business model of people smuggling gangs.

Deeper co-operation on intelligence sharing and investment in drones is also understood to be part of the pact.

The proposals aim to boost the interception rate of small boats from 42 per cent last year to 75 per cent.

When it reaches this level it's understood it will destroy the business model of the gangs.

Joining Mr Sunak at the summit will be Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, Home Secretary Suella Braverman, Transport Secretary Mark Harper, Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey, Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps and Investment Minister Dominic Johnson.

The top Tories will meet with their French counterparts across the day.

The summit is set to kick off with one-to-one talks between Mr Sunak and Mr Macron.

Both will then host a trade and investment forum before meeting with young leaders from the Franco-British council.

Then, a major press conference is due to commence at 2pm.

The PM is keen to break from the style his predecessor Liz Truss and take a more friendly approach approach to relations with France.

Cooperation between the two states frayed when Ms Truss said “the jury is still out” as to whether Mr Macron was a “friend or foe”.

A key message at this year's summit is that the UK’s relationship with France is "defined by our mutual history, our proximity and our shared global outlook".

Ministers will stress the alliance is a "necessary pre-requisite for our prosperity and our security".

The PM’s spokesman said: “We want a EU-UK returns agreement and will push that forward. But it is equally important that there is work on the ground right now to stop the crossings we’re seeing even in these winter months.”

The two leaders will also sign off on a deal to make precision strike weapons together to target Russia.

It comes as the PM faces a fresh Tory rebellion over leaving the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Sun understands up to 40 backbenchers could be prepared to vote to leave the convention.

The Prime Minister said ahead of the summit: "Our deep history, our proximity and our shared global outlook mean that a firm partnership between the UK and France is not just valuable, it is essential.

"From tackling the scourge of illegal migration to driving investment in one another’s economies the work we do together improves the lives of each and every person in our countries. Beyond that, the UK and France also have a privileged role as defenders of European and global security."