Channel migrants: UK must make itself ‘less economically attractive’ to those crossing, says French interior minister | UK news

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France’s interior minister has said the UK should make itself less economically attractive to migrants.

Gerald Darmanin added that France would not be a “hostage” to Britain’s domestic policy.

People congregate in Calais and Dunkirk because they are “attracted to England, especially the job market which means you can work in England without any identity,” he continued.

“Britain must assume its responsibility and reduce its economic attractiveness,” he said.

“Britain has left Europe, but not the world. We need to work hard on these issues, without being hostage to British domestic politics.”

Migration across the English Channel has become an even more pressing issue after 27 people died on Wednesday.

Photo: People gathered on the beach in Folkestone on Sunday as the bell rang 27 times in memory of the 27 people who died crossing the canal on Wednesday

Darmanin was speaking after a meeting in Calais with his counterparts from Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands – where Interior Minister Priti Patel’s invitation was rejected on Friday.

Darmanin said, however, that while Sunday’s meeting was “pro-European”, it was not “anti-English”.

“We want to work with our British friends and allies,” he said.

Following the meeting, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency agreed to provide an aircraft – as of Wednesday – to monitor the northern coast of France.

“We have to prevent loss of life. We have to prevent chaos coming to our external borders,” said EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson, who was also present.

She added that governments need to “go after the money”.

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1:00 p.m. “Not serious” because of crossing the channel

Patel was disqualified after Paris responded with displeasure to a letter from Boris Johnson containing a five-point plan to tackle the number of people trying to cross the English Channel.

The prime minister’s ideas – which he tweeted about – included “conducting joint patrols to prevent migrant boats from leaving French shores.”

But French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said the memo was “officially shoddy and its content is inappropriate.”

Earlier, it emerged that the governments of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom had agreed that migrants should be returned to the first safe country they reached.

The Home Office said in a statement that Priti Patel spoke to Dutch Immigration Minister Anke Brokers-Noll on Sunday morning about people crossing the canal in small boats.

Ms. Brookers-Knoll was among those who attended the meeting on Sunday afternoon.

Photo: More people crossed the dangerous Canal Crossing

The Home Office statement said Ms Patel and her Dutch counterpart agreed that the “tragic incidents” that occurred last week demonstrated “the need for European partners to work together”.

“It was clear that common problems needed common solutions,” she continued.

The Minister of the Interior said that it is unfortunate that she will not be present at the meeting of the Ministers of Interior today to discuss this issue.

They spoke of ideas to counter the criminal gangs that organize the trips “through intelligence sharing and joint law enforcement initiatives.”

People gathered on the beach in Folkestone on Sunday as the bell rang 27 times in memory of those who died this week.

They also called for safe roads for asylum seekers, writing in the sand: “Roads are safe now.”

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On Sunday morning, Health Minister Sajid Javid said the government hoped the French would work with the UK to stop migrants crossing despite being denied talks on Sunday.

Sky News’ Trevor Phillips said on Sunday: “We can’t do it alone, we need the cooperation of the French and again, you asked me about the PM’s speech and I think what the PM said I’ve identified, these are exactly the things we need to do.” And I hope the French will take that and work with us.”

Labor has criticized both the British and French governments, with Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy saying they are “engaging in the blame game as children drown off our coast”.

“It is simply unreasonable and any responsible government on both sides of the canal would put these differences aside and work together to deal with a collective common problem that will only be resolved together,” she told Phillips.

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