Migrants struggle onto a small boat while French police party in bars

Nigel Farage has slammed French President Emmanuel Macron for giving “very little” in return for £800 million from the UK to stop small boats.

The former Ukip and Brexit Party leader praised an investigation by the Daily Express into the deal with Paris to curb Channel crossings.

Britain committed £480 million over the next three years, on top of millions previously handed over.

But the probe by this newspaper found French police officers bankrolled by UK taxpayers admitted to letting migrants set sail and enjoyed raucous partying in Calais.

Leading Brexiteer Mr Farage said: “Brilliant report in the Express today. Taxpayers’ money is being wasted on French police who want the migrants out of their country.

“We’ve given Macron £800million in total for very little. People will be angry about this.”

One officer from the Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (CRS) admitted he let migrants leave French shores on dangerous small boats as “we cannot welcome all the misery in the world in France”.

He said: “We don’t stop the migrants, it’s not our job to stop them.

“A couple of days ago I let a family go that wanted to leave. They touched my heart.

“Before we are cops we are humans. When I see those migrant families I just want to let them be – I should not say that – but we cannot welcome all the misery in the world in France.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made stopping small boats one of his top five priorities.

A record 45,000 people made the perilous journey last year, while there have been 23,000 arrivals so far this year.

Mr Sunak in March agreed his £480million deal with Mr Macron to invest in extra patrols, technology and intelligence to reduce the number of Channel migrant crossings.

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