After the death of twenty-seven migrants in the Channel on November 24, Paris and London are trying to come to an agreement to put an end to migratory trafficking. French Prime Minister Jean Castex, however, rejected, on Thursday 2 December, in a letter to his British counterpart Boris Johnson, his proposal to “Joint patrols” on French soil in order to prevent the departure of migrants to Great Britain.
“We have always agreed to look and discuss in good faith UK proposals for enhanced cooperation. We have accepted some, we have declined others ”, writes Mr. Castex in this text. “We cannot accept, for example, that British police or military patrol our shores; our sovereignty is at stake ”, he emphasizes.
Boris Johnson made this proposal during a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron the day after the tragedy. It was also featured in a letter from Mr Johnson to Mr Macron – which posting on Twitter by the British government ulcerated Paris and caused a new crisis between the two countries.
Returning migrants, “not an option” for France
In his text, Mr Johnson also proposed “A bilateral readmission agreement to allow the return of all illegal migrants crossing the Channel”. “Returning migrants is not an option for us, it is not a serious or responsible way of approaching the issue”, also said a source to Matignon.
“More than 700 police officers and gendarmes survey the Opal Coast every day, to prevent makeshift boats from taking to sea” to England, underlines Mr. Castex in his response. “Part of these operations is carried out with the financial contribution of your government, in accordance with our cooperation agreements”, he recalls.
“However, these efforts only make it possible to contain the phenomenon, not to provide a lasting response”, believes the French Prime Minister, calling on the United Kingdom to lead “A more efficient return policy” and to open “Legal immigration routes to those who have legitimate reasons for wanting to surrender” in this country.