Downing Street tried to play down the differences with France after the immigrants arrived in the English Channel. Emmanuel Macron Said that the British government tends to “sway between partnership and provocation.”
The French President’s comments came as Priti Patel stated that the “real problem” of immigration to the UK is the EU’s Schengen open border system.
Macron said in an interview with the Voice of the North, headquartered in northern France, that people gathered on the northern coast of France, hoping to pass through the dangerous border, “is a very difficult situation for the people of Calais.”
“I will make reform proposals during the EU’s rotating presidency from January 1st,” he said. “We have British people who are vacillating between partnership and provocation. We must further strengthen our cooperation.
“If those [migrants] People who want to arrive in the UK have family there, which should be regarded as a family reunion. If they are the victims of smugglers, we must crush the system. “
When asked about Macron’s comments, Boris Johnson’s spokesperson said: “We continue to work closely with the French to prevent these border crossings. We are very clear that both ourselves and the French need to do more. This That’s why we continue to work with them.
“We are facing a global migration crisis, which is orchestrated by organized criminal groups, who take people on ships for these dangerous transits. For Europe as a whole, this is an urgent and urgent problem that needs to be ordered. Incredibly close cooperation. This is a common problem, so we need a common solution.”
Macron said he had spoken to the mayor of Calais on Wednesday to “help the town regain control of its future” and promised a “new solution”, which he said would be announced by different ministers in the coming weeks.
The President stated that he understands the concerns of those associations and human rights defenders who support immigration, but added that there has been “significant investment” in the establishment of reception centers for those who want to seek asylum in France.
According to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, between January 1 and August 31, 15,400 migrants tried to cross the strait. 3,500 of them were picked up and brought back to France after encountering difficulties at sea.
Patel was visiting the United States, where she was accompanied by journalists sympathizing with British newspapers, and she made comments on the EU’s borders in Washington.
“Let us not forget that the real problem with the flow of illegal immigrants is that the EU does not have any border protection-Schengen opens its borders,” she said.
