Shabana Mahmood is preparing to hand France an extra £500million to cope with the small boat crisis as Britain prepares for a surge in Channel crossings while weather conditions improve. The Home Secretary is said to be seeking more “bang for our buck” from French authorities as she looks to renew a major deal with Paris. Negotiations between the Entente Cordiale allies over renewing their migration agreement are approaching a critical deadline, with the current arrangement set to lapse next Tuesday. A Home Office delegation will travel to Paris this week to thrash out terms for extending the deal. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say While Ms Mahmood is understood to be ready to reaffirm the deal, sending another half-billion to France, she is seeking a better arrangement. Government sources indicated that the Home Secretary is pursuing a "more ambitious" arrangement that delivers "more bang for our buck". The existing £500million accord, struck by Rishi Sunak in 2023, has faced criticism for failing to stem the flow of migrants, with just 35 per cent of crossing attempts thwarted by French authorities. Last year saw 41,472 people reach Britain by small boat, representing a 13 per cent increase on the previous year and the second-highest annual figure on record. French officials intercepted 22,476 migrants, meaning nearly two-thirds successfully completed the journey despite years of British financial support. Defending the French partnership, the Home Secretary stated: "Without it, the number of crossings would be even higher." She added that both nations shared a "collective interest" in achieving maximum impact from any renewed agreement, per The Sun. It comes as illegal crossings begin to rise as conditions over the channel improve. MORE TO FOLLOW Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter