After the most recent tragedy, France has taken advantage of the UK’s “minimal” contribution to stopping migrants from crossing the Channel.
Prior to talks with Priti Patel’s Minister for Interior Gerald Darmanin called on closer cooperation. He warned that migrants were offering desperate asylum seekers an “Ed Dorado” of benefits and jobs in the UK.
Others in France condemned Britain’s failures to establish formal pathways for asylum and make it difficult to find work or housing upon arrival. It was also claimed that the’mafia chiefs involved in people smuggling lived in beautiful villas in London.
The barbs came as immigration minister Kevin Foster made clear the UK is ready to top up the £54million funding already pledged to support France in managing its border.
Mr Foster stated in a series interviews that personnel and helicopters are also available for the coastal problems. However, President Emmanuel Macron seems to have rejected the notion of French-French joint patrols.
After the most tragic day of the current migration crisis, many more have arrived in Britain after the treacherous journey across the Channel.
One day after a dinghy crashed off Calais’ coast, dozens were killed, a group of people wearing blankets, life jackets, and covered in blankets huddled on board an RNLI boat before embarking in Dover.
Later, Ms Patel will update MPs about the situation via a statement to Parliament.
Following a Channel incident that resulted in 27 deaths, RNLI has brought a group thought to be migrants to Dover.
Gerald Darmanin, Minister of the Interior, called for greater cooperation ahead of discussions with Priti Paltel. Darmanin warned that people smugglers are promising asylum seekers desperate jobs and other benefits in the UK.
French radio network RTL heard Mr Darmanin say that the smugglers is a ‘criminal, someone who exploits the misery of others – there were pregnant woman, children who drowned yesterday on that ship…and for just a few thousand euro they promise them El Dorado in England.”
He said, “Sadly, this has been repeated each day for the past 20 years.”
Mr Darmanin has also called for ‘more police officers, more cameras, more resources in general’ to be devoted to the issue.
He referred to “sometimes lively conversations” with Ms Patel regarding the UK’s support for France. This was despite the fact that it’remains minimal in comparison to the resources we have put into place.
Foster indicated that additional help was on the horizon, saying: “The first, and most important, thing is to work with France.
“We offered resources and are pleased to help them on the beach.
‘We have already agreed £54million, we’re happy to look at doing more.
‘We’re also prepared to offer resources beyond (that) – like yesterday, we deployed a helicopter at their request to help with the search and rescue operation, so we’re not just offering cash. The continuation of this is against everyone’s interests.
Foster said that he was ready to provide support, resources and people for the French authorities.
The chairman of the ports of Calais and Boulogne, Jean-Marc Puissesseau, told BBC Breakfast the ‘enormous problem’ of illegal migration via the Channel could only be solved by the UK working together with European authorities.
It’s a huge problem. It is 20 years that we have migrants coming to Calais with only one wish – get to your country,’ he said.
“It’s time for Europe and the UK to work together in solving the problem.
Calais’ MP said that increased French beach patrols are the only way to end the refugee crisis.
Pierre-Henri Dumont said to BBC Breakfast, “It’s time that both our governments stop being blaming one another and start talking to each other to find real solutions. Not a crazy solution like more soldiers patrolling and sending the British army over to France.
“This is unacceptable, and we will not accept it.”
When asked what should be done, he replied that migrants should have the right to seek asylum from outside of the UK. However, it should not be easier for them to obtain employment or housing once they are settled in Britain.
“Having more money, or more officers on the French coast will not make a difference because there are 200-300 km of coastline to watch 24/7,” said the MP.
“It takes only five to ten minutes for smugglers take a boat to put in the sea to the migrants. When the migrants arrive in the UK, it’s already too late. They will find a way.
An additional French politician stated that the heads of human trafficking groups who are living comfortably in Britain must be arrested.
Franck Dhersin is the vice-president of Transport for the Northern Hauts-deFrance Region. He told French television station BFMTV, “In France, what do we do?” We arrest the smugglers…
‘To fight them, there’s only one way – we need to stop the organisations, you need to arrest the mafia chiefs.
‘And the mafia chiefs live in London… They live in London peacefully, in beautiful villas, they earn hundreds of millions of euros every year, and they reinvest that money in the City.
“And so it is very easy for tax authorities to locate them.”
In the aftermath of the tragedy Mr Johnson spoke with Mr Macron. French officials said that pregnant women and their children were among those who died.
Downing Street reported that both men had agreed not to give up on their attempts to stop human trafficking gangs from putting vulnerable people at risk along one of the most busy sea lanes around the globe.
After a French fishing boat saw people swimming in the ocean off France, the British and French authorities launched a joint rescue and search operation. It was called off on Wednesday night.
Five women and one girl were among the dead, and two other survivors were taken to a French hospital for treatment. It was later revealed that one of those who had died was pregnant.
Darmanin stated that the boat that sank was very fragile, comparing it to “a pool you blow up inside your yard”.
Although he was not able to identify the nationalities, he said that the survivors of the tragedy were Somalian and Iraqi. They had also been severely hypothermic.
In connection to the incident, five French traffickers have been arrested. A regional prosecutor is investigating aggravated manslaughter.
Following a meeting of the Cobra emergencies committee, Mr Johnson said it is clear that French operations to stop the migrant boats leaving ‘haven’t been enough’ despite £54 million of UK support, adding that the people traffickers are ‘literally getting away with murder’.
Johnson indicated that the Government would seek to accelerate measures under the Nationality and Borders Bill in order to allow authorities to distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants.
But, Natacha Bouchart, the Mayor of Calais said that it was British fault and asked Mr Johnson to take responsibility.
“The British government is responsible.” French media reported that Boris Johnson, apparently cynically choosing to blame France for the past year-and-a-half, I believe.
Yesterday afternoon, 27 people died in the Calais area. This sparked a civil war between France and Britain.
Boris Johnson, left (right today in Zagreb), told Emmanuel Macron that British boots are required on the ground in France after the death of 27 migrants at the Channel crossing.