France has called on the UK to accept asylum claims from migrants within the European Union, particularly after a devastating incident where a boat capsized in the English Channel, resulting in the deaths of 12 migrants, including children. The majority of the victims were from Eritrea and other African countries. The French Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, expressed his concerns over the incident, describing it as a “terrible shipwreck” and criticized the actions of “criminal smugglers” who crammed 70 people onto a small boat, leading to the tragedy.
Darmanin, speaking shortly after the disaster, blamed the UK for the continued small boat crossings. He urged the UK to establish a new asylum agreement with the EU, warning that without such an agreement, these dangerous crossings would persist. The French minister suggested that a treaty should be created between the UK and the EU, not just between France and the UK, to connect asylum requests with the actual granting of asylum in the UK. He emphasized the need for a “classic migration relationship” with the UK, describing Britain as a “friend and neighbor.”
Despite the UK’s previous efforts to deter illegal immigration, such as the now-defunct Rwanda deportation scheme, Darmanin argued that these measures have been ineffective. He pointed out that migrants are often driven to make these perilous journeys because they can “often work without papers” in the UK and are “very rarely expelled.” The minister also criticized the UK for only contributing a third of the funds France spends on policing its beaches to prevent illegal crossings.
The issue of migrant crossings remains a difficult topic between the UK and France, with both nations facing challenges in managing the crisis. Although the UK has sought to return illegal migrants to their countries of origin, the French government is pushing for a more collaborative approach within the EU framework to address the issue comprehensively.