As Britain continues to wrestle with the ongoing migration crisis across the English Channel, a growing number of voices are calling for a shift in strategy, from expensive border enforcement to financial deterrence.

While it’s well known that the UK pays France nearly half a billion pounds to bolster border security, this figure is dwarfed by the annual £5.4 billion spent on asylum support, resettlement, and migrant accommodation. Critics argue that the system is overwhelmed, and enforcement alone is failing to stem the tide.

A frequent complaint among policymakers and the public is that many migrants crossing in small boats are driven by economic opportunity rather than fleeing persecution. One source recounted speaking with a migrant who openly admitted, on official Home Office forms,

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