The United Kingdom government is set to fund the purchase of two new boats for Anguilla under a new partnership to boost border security.
The Governor’s Office and the Government of Anguilla announced the measure to strengthen maritime patrols and interdiction efforts in a shared press release on 15 May.
Alongside the vessel purchase, the government plans to put funds towards the strengthening and operations of an expanded Marine Unit.
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According to the press release, the unit will work with the Royal Anguilla Police Force, and the Immigration and Customs Departments under a multi-agency, intelligence-led operating model.
The two vessels and expanded Marine Unit are expected to become operational in early 2027, subject to procurement and recruitment timelines.
Officials said the development would mark a “significant step change” in Anguilla’s ability to protect maritime borders and respond to serious and organised crime.
The announcement forms part of wider security cooperation between the UK and Anguilla governments to bolster the island’s security and protect its border.
It includes Anguilla’s plans to increase police recruitment and the £4 million (EC$14.5m) in UK security support provided to the island since 2024, the press release said.
In July 2025, a new UK-funded radar system was deployed, giving Anguilla’s authorities real-time monitoring of the island’s coastal waters for the first time.
The radar was delivered by the UK’s Joint Maritime Security Centre after an assessment by maritime data firm Sirius Insight on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
That May, Commissioner of Police Robert Clark had said the radar would allow authorities to track vessels not electronically identifiable and spot unusual patterns that suggest possible illegal entry.
The radar system links to the Emergency Services Control Room and may eventually integrate with a planned islandwide CCTV network.
At the time, the Marine Unit had no operational boats, after its only vessel broke free from its moorings at Sandy Ground and struck a reef earlier in the year.
Executive Council minutes from June 2025 said the government of the British Virgin Islands was donating two vessels to support Anguilla’s maritime capabilities.
No public update was provided on the delivery of the boats. Anguilla Focus has contacted police for an update and is awaiting a response.
