Private companies are cashing in on billions of pounds in Government contracts for border security, research shows..

One of the biggest contracts uncovered by researchers was £1billion for the provision of maritime security drones.

Another private contractor won a £7.7million tender to provide marquees at migrant processing centres in Kent.

Researchers at the independent media platform Open Democracy claim to have identified around £5billion worth of contracts to provide services aimed at enhancing the UK's border security.

The shocking figures add to the cost of the wrap-around services for Channel migrants.

A National Audit Office report last month put the asylum seeker accommodation bill alone as high as £15billion over a decade.

Open Democracy said its researchers, from the universities of Liverpool, York, Sheffield and Nottingham, had found it extremely challenging to uncover the scale of the border security contracts awarded to private firms.

Its detailed analysis states: "As part of our research, we were interested to find out how much money is being made by the legal flip side of this business of smuggling: the business of bordering.

GB News captures the moment a border force vessel approaches a migrant boat on the Channel yesterday

"The Government makes it difficult for people to access this information - there is no publicly available database for all such contracts it holds with private firms.

"Some contracts have not been made public at all, and even those that are, have some figures redacted.

"All of this means that the real figure is likely to be far higher than the research was able to uncover."

Researchers examined contracts between Government departments and agencies, like the Coastguard, from 2015 onwards and found 213 such contracts relating to Channel security and small boat crossings.

Almost 700 migrants crossed the channel on the day Sir Keir Starmer agreed a new 'one in, one out' deal with France

Some contracts exclusively relate to the Channel, while others are part of a larger package of border security work.

One of the researchers, Dr Tesfalem Yemane said: "Behind every piece of infrastructure, every form of surveillance, and even behind every rescue and processing of Channel migrants, there are private companies working to win contracts and extract profit from government spending and the exploitation of the most vulnerable."

In total, the research team found contracts worth more than £5billion, with the average contract worth around £27million.

Taken together, the private sector contracts cost each UK citizen £73.

In 2020, the Government paid Portuguese technology company, Tekever, around £1billion for the provision and management of drones and other maritime surveillance assets.

The true cost of the drone deal is not known, according to Open Democracy

The original Tekever contract has since been renewed, but the updated costs were redacted from the publicly available tendering document.

The smallest contract identified was £6,000 to Fast Engineering Ltd for the provision of bedding at Border Force custody suite facilities.

Some 21,117 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year, according to the latest Home Office figures

Other contracts include a 2022 deal with Aeolian Offshore Ltd, worth more than £2.7million to provide Border Force with vessels and crew to intercept and pick up migrants in the Channel.

Speedy Asset Services Ltd received £7.7million in 2023 to provide temporary marquees for the processing of migrants at Dover Harbour and the Manston facility in Kent.

From 2017 until 2024, Carlson Wagonlit UK Ltd was awarded £5.7million to provide travel services for those being deported from the UK.

Between 2023 and 2025, Cinos Ltd received £627,616 to build three video walls at the immigration control and command centre.

In 2022, British Event Catering was awarded £700,000 to provide emergency catering services in support of Border Force.

GB News has contacted the Home Office for comment.

It was announced yesterday that Sir Keir Starmer had agreed to a pilot "one in, one out" landmark migrant-return deal with France.

Under the new agreement, the French will take back illegal small boat migrants in return for Britain accepting asylum seekers from France.

Speaking at a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, the Prime Minister said: "There is no silver bullet here but with a united effort, new tactics and a new level of intent we can finally turn the tables."

On the day the announcement was made, almost 700 migrants illegally crossed the Channel into Britain.

Around 21,117 migrants have made the crossing so far in 2025, according to the latest Home Office figures, a record for this point in a year.