The United Kingdom and France have promised to link their efforts in the face of the tragedy of migrants. While 27 migrants died on Wednesday attempting to cross the Channel, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron agreed in a telephone interview “on the urgency of stepping up their joint efforts to prevent these deadly crossings and to do everything possible against life-threatening gangs, ”said a spokesperson for Downing Street.
They also stressed the importance of working closely with neighboring countries like Belgium and the Netherlands as well as across the European continent to “tackle the problem effectively before (the migrants) reach the French coast. “.
“Shocked, revolted and deeply saddened”
Boris Johnson had also previously acknowledged on Sky News that the efforts had not been “sufficient”, saying that he “had difficulty persuading some of (his) partners, in particular the French, to act at the height of the situation ”. At the end of a crisis meeting, the Conservative Prime Minister also said he was “shocked, revolted and deeply saddened” by the tragedy that occurred on Wednesday.
The illegal Channel crossings regularly fuel tensions between Paris and London, the British authorities considering insufficient the efforts undertaken on the French side to prevent the candidates for exile from boarding despite the payment of financial aid. The French, who refute these accusations, retort that London is reluctant to actually untie the purse strings.
