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The accusations between British and French government leaders, after the drowning of almost 30 migrants in the English Channel, has fueled one of the main tensions between the two countries, especially after Brexit: border control. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Emmanuel Macron to accept joint patrols along his coast, while the French president asked London not to politicize the flow of migrants.
The biggest migrant tragedy in the English Channel since data collection began in 2014 today faces the governments of France and the United Kingdom.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson renewed his calls for France to accept the surveillance of the armed forces of the two governments along the coast of the English Channel, the narrow sea lane that separates the two countries.
Johnson assured that the drowning of at least 27 people on Wednesday, November 24 when they tried to cross into British territory, shows how the efforts of the French authorities to patrol its beaches “have not been enough.”
The conservative leader said he was “shocked” and dismayed “by the deaths and called on Paris to do more to dissuade foreigners from crossing the Canal. According to Johnson, human trafficking gangs “literally get away with it.”
“We have had difficulty persuading some of our partners, particularly the French, to do things the way we think the situation deserves (…) I understand the difficulties faced by all countries, but what we want now is to do more together, and that is the offer we are making, “Johnson said hours after the incident.
The United Kingdom has accused the Macron Administration in recent weeks of staying out of the migratory flow through the Canal while thousands of migrants depart from its shores, allegations that Macron rejects.
“France will not allow the Canal to become a cemetery,” said the French leader.
Macron asks Johnson not to “politicize” with the flow of migrants
Paris has declined previous offers from the UK to send police and Border Force agents to patrol jointly, amid concerns about what such action would represent for its national sovereignty.
On Wednesday, in a telephone communication with Johnson, Macron emphasized the “shared responsibility” of the two nations in the situation, but also pointed out that London must stop “politicizing” the immigration issue to obtain internal benefits.
In addition, the French Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin, assured that the British Government has to be part of the answer.
Emmanuel Macron, after vowing France would not allow the #Channel to become a “cemetery”, spoke to Boris Johnson on stepping up efforts to thwart the traffickers blamed for the surge in crossings. https://t.co/JacpWh7pLF
– Firstpost (@firstpost) November 25, 2021
On the other hand, the leader of the Elysee called for an emergency meeting with ministers of the European Union (EU) to discuss the next steps to follow. The French president defended that the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) must obtain more financial resources to protect the outer limits of the bloc of 27 countries and thus prevent migrants from gathering on the shores of northern France.
While the French authorities have prevented more irregular crossings than in previous years, they have only partially halted the flow of migrants wanting to reach the UK.
Regaining control of its borders was a rationale for Brexit supporters ahead of the 2016 referendum and this remains a sticking point between London and Paris.
Migrant crossings through the English Channel record record numbers
This Thursday, February 25, the authorities confirmed that, among the at least 27 killed by the shipwreck of the boat in which they were transported through the English Channel, there are pregnant women and three children.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) indicated that this is the greatest loss of life since it began collecting data on the transits of migrants through that sea seven years ago.
Two survivors are in intensive care, after presenting severe hypothermia.
According to the French authorities, most of the occupants of the boat were Kurdish people, from Iraq and Iran.
The recent tragedy highlights the accumulated deaths of migrants in the Canal, which this year have represented record numbers.
On November 11, a total of 1,185 people arrived in England by boat, most in a single day. And more than 25,700 have made the dangerous trip to British territory in small boats so far this year, three times the total for all of 2020, according to official figures.
With Reuters and local media
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