Britain and France agreed Thursday to a pilot plan that will send some migrants who cross the English Channel on small boats back to France as the UK government struggles to counter criticism that it has lost control of the countrys borders. The announcement was made on the last day of French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to Britain.
French PresidentEmmanuel Macronand UK Prime MinisterKeir Starmerannounced an agreement on a pilot programme to returnmigrantscrossing theEnglish Channelon small boats.
While the initial programme will be limited to a few migrants, Starmer hailed the arrangement as a "groundbreaking" pilot scheme.
"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,'' Starmer told reporters at a joint news conference in London. For the very first time, migrants arriving via small boat will be detained and returned to France in short order.
After hosting Macron for a three-day state visit that included a carriage procession to Windsor Castle with King Charles and a state banquet, Starmer was handed a much-desired boost when Macron said France had agreed to a migrant returns scheme.
Read moreMacron kicks off 'historic' UK state visit to renew ties with King Charles, PM Starmer
Under the agreement, Britain will send some of those who cross the Channel in small boats back toFrancewhile accepting an equal number migrants who are judged to have legitimate claims to asylum in theUK.
Starmer had pushed for the arrangement, known as the one in, one out deal, in hopes of discouraging people from making the dangerous crossing.
Small boat crossings have become a potent political issue in Britain, fueled by pictures of people smugglers piling migrants into overcrowded, leaky inflatable boats on the French coast. So far this year, more than 21,000 people have arrived in the UK in small boats, up 56 percent from the same period last year. Dozens have died.
Starmer on Thursday said that for every migrant returned, a different individual would be allowed "to come here via a safe route: controlled and legal, subject to strict security checks and only open to those who have not tried to enter the UK illegally".
British officials have been pushing for French police to intervene more forcefully to stop boats once they have left the shore, and welcomed the sight of officers slashing rubber dinghies with knives in recent days.
The so-called "one in, one out" migrant deal sees migrants sent back to France in return for the UK accepting a similar number of migrants with strong asylum cases.
Illegal crossings point to Brexit failure
The policy, which is similar to a scheme used by the EU and Turkey, carries risks for Macron from his right-wing political critics who may question why he has agreed to take back migrants wanting to live in Britain.
At the joint press conference on the final day of his UK visit, Macron criticised Britain's decision to leave the European Union, saying "a lot of people in your country explained that Brexit would allow you to fight more efficiently against illegal immigration" but that it resulted in "the exact opposite".
Macron had earlier called on Britain to address "migration pull factors", suggesting it should be harder for migrants in Britain to find work without legal residential status.
Starmer said Britain's nationwide crackdown on illegal working, which he described as being on a "completely unprecedented scale", would mean the jobs migrants had been promised would no longer exist.
Pomp and politics
The more than 21,000 migrants who have crossed from northern France to southeast England in rudimentary vessels this year alone has become a major political headache for Starmer.
During a meeting with Macron on Wednesday, Starmer outlined his government's policies to tackle issues such as illegal working, a Downing Street spokesperson said.
Read moreMacron, Starmer agree a new deterrent is needed against illegal migration
Illegal employment opportunities are one of the "pull factors" which France claims has made the UK particularly attractive to migrants.
Thursday's summit follows two days of events spanning pomp and politics, trade and culture for Macron and his wifeBrigitte.
The French first couple were welcomed on Tuesday byKing Charles IIIand Queen Camilla with a horse-drawn carriage procession, a 41-gun salute and a banquet at Windsor Castle, west of London.
Macron and Charles toasted a new "entente amicale" at the lavish state banquet, hailing the importance of cross-Channel relations amid various emergent threats.
The state visit also saw Macron formally announcethe loan of the famous Bayeux Tapestry, depicting the 1066 Norman conquest of England, to the British Museum for 10 months from September 2026.
In return, London will lend French museums the collection from the Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo site, one of England's most important archaeological sites, as well as other medieval treasures.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
Originally published on France24
