Macron: Give us millions to shut Calais back door to UK
Wake up at the back! Europhile Kensends Brexiteer to sleep
EMMANUEL Macron has vowed to stop Calais from becoming a ‘back door to Britain’ again – if the UK hands over millions in taxpayers’ money.
The French president said yesterday the notorious ‘Jungle’ migrant camp near the mouth of the Channel Tunnel would not be allowed to return.
But before rubber-stamping the hard-line approach, Mr Macron will demand that Theresa May accepts several measures, including taking more child migrants from France. His demands are part of an aggressive strategy to shift increased responsibility for the border to Britain amid fears of a future migration surge.
Mr Macron has threatened to rip up the 2003 Le Touquet agreement that allows the UK to patrol on the French side of the border unless Mrs May agrees to an overhaul.
‘Everything is being done to ensure illegal passage to the UK is not possible,’ Mr Macron said. ‘I want to be very clear that Calais is not a back door to the UK.’
But he added: ‘Britain is their final destination… in a large majority of cases they don’t want to stay in France.’
Mr Macron also accused charities operating in Calais of encouraging migrants to make the crossing to Britain. He said: ‘When charities encourage women and men to stay in Calais and even to pass onto the other side of the border, they assume an immense responsibility.’
Mr Macron made the promise during a visit to the port town, which has become a symbol of the migration crisis as a gateway for thousands hoping to illegally enter the UK.
Amid pressure to take a tough stance on migration, Mr Macron said: ‘There will be no reconstruction of the Jungle and no tolerance for the illegal occupation of public space.’
Mr Macron’s promise will be scoffed at by those who say the Jungle has never really disappeared. Despite the landmark destruction project in October 2016, up to 600 migrants are thought to be sleeping rough in woodland in the area. Lorry drivers and holidaymakers returning to the UK are still subjected to daily attempts by migrants to clamber aboard in the hope of reaching the UK as stowaways.
During their meeting for the 35th UK-France summit at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst tomorrow, Mr Macron will expect the Prime Minister to outline ‘specific responses’.
He said: ‘I will raise the issues of unaccompanied child migrants, police co- operation and the release of new funds.’
British and French officials have been locked in ‘ intense’ discussions for days over how to redraft the so- called Le Touquet agreement, originally signed by former leaders Jacques Chirac and Tony Blair. French politicians have grown frustrated at the nature of the 2003 accord, which they believe has unfairly placed their country under strain.
Downing Street has refused to rule out sending millions more to Paris as part of a revised deal, but a spokesman said only: ‘This [Le Touquet] is an agreement which has served both sides well.’
‘No tolerance for illegal occupation’