The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
UK to give more cash for France border controls
May meets Macron with pledge of another £44.5m and says UK could take in more refugees
Theresa May has welcomed President Emmanuel Macron for summit talks which will see Britain commit tens of millions of pounds to strengthen UK border controls in France.
The French president, making his first visit to Britain since entering the Elysee Palace, was greeted at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, with a guard of honour from the Coldstream Guards.
Before the ceremonial welcome, the two leaders enjoyed a working lunch at the Royal Oak pub in Paley Street, in Mrs May’s Maidenhead constituency.
Officials said the £44.5 million cash injection would go towards fencing, CCTV and detection technology in Calais and other ports along the Channel.
Part of the money will also go towards helping relocate people away from Channel ports to prevent another migrant camp from forming as it did in Calais in 2015.
Britain could also commit to taking in a higher proportion of child refugees from France as part of its commitment to resettle 480 unaccompanied children under the Dubs scheme, it is understood.
Figures show more than 750 children have been transferred to Britain through various routes since the “Jungle” camp was shut down in 2016.
Mrs May’s official spokesman said on Wednesday: “We have given a clear commitment in relation to child refugees following the Dubs amendment.
“The work to identify unaccompanied minors in and around the Calais area continues and where it’s appropriate to find them homes in the UK we’re determined to do so.”
The French president has been pressing for Britain to increase its financial contribution as well as a commitment to take more refugees ahead of his first visit to the UK as president.
A Government spokeswoman said: “This is about investing in and enhancing the security of the UK border.
“Just as we invest in our borders around the rest of the UK, it is only right that we constantly monitor whether there is more we can be doing at the UK border controls in France and Belgium to ensure they are as secure as possible.”
The summit is also an opportunity for the two leaders to underline their countries’ enduring ties, despite Britain’s impending withdrawal from the EU.
Increasing cooperation on defence and counter-terrorism will be high on the agenda at an event which will see the first meeting of the heads of the two countries’ main intelligence agencies.
Britain will also commit to participating in Mr Macron’s “European intervention initiative”, which officials do not regard as a European army but a plan to enhance coordination of existing armed forces.