France Withdraws UK Invitation after Johnson Letter
Following the deaths of 27 migrants trying to cross the Channel to England, France withdraws an invitation for the UK home secretary to a meeting.
After 27 migrants died trying to cross the Channel to England, France has withdrawn its invitation to the UK home secretary to attend a ministerial meeting, as French officials condemned UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s letter on the incident.
The European minister-level meeting on the migrant crisis is due to take place in Calais on Sunday.
“Priti Patel is no longer invited to the inter-ministerial meeting on Sunday which will go ahead with France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and the European Commission,” a senior French official said on Friday.
The official described as “unacceptable and contrary to our discussions” a letter from Boris Johnson to French President Emmanuel Macron that was published on Thursday night. French officials said they objected to the content of Johnson’s letter and the fact that it was made public by the British.
Johnson called in the letter for reciprocal maritime patrols between France and Britain in each other’s territorial waters, and a deal for thousands of migrants who reach English shores to be returned to France.
“If those who reach this country were swiftly returned, the incentive for people to put their lives in the hands of traffickers would be significantly reduced,” Johnson wrote in the letter.
French officials are of the opinion that the UK is targeting France and blaming Macron for its own problems, including those associated with Brexit and the migrant crisis, for domestic political reasons.
After the death of the 27 on Wednesday, Macron told Johnson that the UK and France shared responsibility for the migrant issue, according to a statement by the Champs Elysées, and that “he expected the British to cooperate fully and to abstain from exploiting a tragedy for political ends”.
Growing post-Brexit tensions
According to French police, 31,500 people have attempted to flee to the United Kingdom since the beginning of the year, with 7,800 people rescued at sea, a figure that has doubled since August.
After a series of accidents this year, seven have been confirmed dead or are still missing, presumed drowned.
In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's right-wing Conservative party is under great pressure, especially from its supporters, to restrict the number of people crossing the border.
This week, French police announced arresting 15 people suspected of being part of an international migrant smuggling ring that helped migrants illegally cross the English Channel to Britain.
More than 25,000 people have entered the UK unlawfully so far this year, according to British police, more than quadruple the number recorded in 2020.
The dispute has exacerbated post-Brexit tensions between Britain and France, which are already high due to a dispute over fishing rights that has yet to be settled.