The Mayor of Calais, Natacha Bouchart, has strongly criticized Britain’s handling of illegal immigration and questioned why France should bear the financial burden of tackling small boat crossings across the English Channel. In a heated statement, she argued that the UK should reform its approach to migration rather than relying on French efforts to curb the flow.
Bouchart, who has been the mayor of Calais since 2008, expressed frustration over a bilateral deal aimed at reducing illegal crossings, suggesting it unfairly places responsibility on France. Speaking to BBC Radio 4, she said, “When migrants arrive in Britain, they work easily without proper documents. The British government must stop being in denial.” She insisted that the UK should strengthen its measures to prevent illegal migration rather than expecting France to foot the bill.
The mayor also called for changes to the existing agreement between the two nations, highlighting what she sees as British “hypocrisy” in managing migrant issues. She argued that France should not have to allocate millions of euros to prevent crossings while the UK allegedly tolerates illegal workers and offers little chance of deportation for those who arrive.
In response to Bouchart’s remarks, Richard Tice, Deputy Leader of Reform UK, acknowledged her points but countered that French authorities also need to take stronger action to intercept and return migrant boats. He emphasized shared responsibility in addressing the issue.
The debate comes as new figures reveal that 800 migrants crossed the Channel last week alone, underlining the scale of the crisis. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer have both highlighted the need to dismantle human trafficking networks as a critical solution to the problem. Starmer stated, “Breaking the gangs that are running these operations is one of the biggest disincentives we can provide to stop the boats.”
While both governments claim to be committed to reducing illegal crossings, tensions between France and Britain remain high, with each side pointing fingers over policy failures. Bouchart’s fiery comments add to the growing pressure on both nations to find a sustainable solution.