The problem of illegal migration across the strait between Great Britain and France has become extremely acute.
The incident in the English Channel aggravated the permanent confrontation between France and Great Britain, into which the European Union was also drawn. The “lowest point of relations” between Paris and London, according to Bloomberg’s definition, was the death of dozens of refugees from Iraq and Iran in the English Channel. Correspondent.net tells the details.
The worst incident involving migrants
Several dozen people were found dead in the waters of the English Channel between France and the UK after an inflatable boat carrying migrants capsized. Fishermen stumbled upon an accident near the French cities of Calais and Dunkirk on November 24.
There were supposedly 34 people in the boat. According to AFP, 27 bodies, including children, were recovered from the water. In addition, two survivors were found, said French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanen.
According to him, this is the worst incident involving migrants that has ever happened in the English Channel. The minister announced the arrest of four suspects in this case.
According to the International Organization for Migration, the accident has recorded the largest number of human casualties among migrants since the start of monitoring in this region in 2014.
Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and France gathered on November 28 for a crisis meeting on migration across the English Channel and agreed to step up the fight against human smuggling, Darmanen said.
According to him, the EU countries called on Britain, where migrants are trying to cross on small ships, to create legal migration routes. In addition, the British authorities should prevent the illegal employment of such persons, said the head of the French Interior Ministry.
The British side did not participate in the meeting. French authorities canceled an invitation for British colleagues after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson demanded the return of migrants who had illegally entered the kingdom to France.
At the same time, the head of the French Ministry of Internal Affairs expressed his readiness to talk with his British counterpart Priti Patel. “We want to cooperate with Great Britain, it is our ally,” he said, noting, however, that France will not become a hostage of London’s internal politics.
The European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex, following a meeting in Calais, agreed to provide an aircraft from December 1 to monitor the situation on the northern coast of France, Darmanen said.
In addition, the meeting discussed the use of drones and Frontex border guards to suppress the activities of groups involved in the illegal movement of people in Northern and Western Europe.
The problem of illegal migration across the English Channel has become extremely acute, notes BBC News. According to her, in the fall of this year, about 25 thousand people came to Britain from France in this way, while less than ten thousand a year earlier.
On November 12, an anti-record was recorded in the United Kingdom in this area – a thousand migrants crossed the strait into its territory.
Most of those who decide to take such a trip live in refugee camps on the French coast. Those killed on 24 November are believed to have lived in such a camp near Dunkirk.
For London, the increased migration flow is a serious problem. The kingdom is unable to send back those who crossed the border and were detained in its territorial waters, since after leaving the EU, Britain has not signed readmission agreements with any member of the bloc.
The British government does not offer concrete solutions, but is simply trying to score points in terms of domestic policy, criticizes the British newspaper Guardian.
The condemnation of illegal transporters of people is increasingly meaningless – and will remain so until effective measures are taken, for example, a frank discussion about creating legal and safe migration routes to Britain, the newspaper believes.
“Patel’s statement that” English boots “are needed on French territory, apparently, was made deliberately – in order to aggravate the situation. Our Ministry of the Interior once again found itself at the center of an extremely unsightly performance,” the article says.
Under the Le Touquet agreement, concluded in 2003, Britain opened its border posts in French Calais – and thus was able to deploy migrants before they entered the kingdom. The situation needs to be changed, French newspaper Le Monde demands.
According to the publication, this is not about the fight against illegal carriers of people, but about the distribution of refugees between France and Great Britain.
“Macron, when he was still a minister, threatened to terminate the Le Touquet agreement – now he should raise this issue again in order to force the British to sit down at the negotiating table. filed at the border, “the newspaper writes.
The EU must support these initiatives in order to get out of the absurd situation in which migrants in Calais are unable to leave European territory, notes Le Monde.
In order for the English Channel not to turn into another mass grave, Paris and London are obliged to establish cooperation, calls on the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
“The picture of what is happening, among other things, is characterized by the fact that relations between France and the UK at the moment are not the best. Disagreements and disputes reign on all possible issues – from the issuance of fishing licenses to issues of high politics,” – said FAZ.
Another issue causing disagreement between the two countries is the fishing conflict. Despite the fact that fisheries do not play a significant role for their economies – about 0.1 percent of GDP, this dispute is extremely important, as it could set a precedent for the further settlement of trade issues between the UK and the EU.
This dispute is described in detail in the material of Korrespondent.net. Fish war.
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