Migrant fears if Macron scraps border deal
MINISTERS are drawing up plans to stop illegal immigrants from coming to Britain amid concerns that Emmanuel Macron could scrap UK border controls on French soil.
Mr Macron, the newly elected French president, promised during his election campaign to renegotiate the Le Touquet agreement which enables British border officials to carry out checks in France.
Theresa May yesterday appeared to concede that the agreement will have to be looked at again as she pledged to defend the border controls, arguing that they benefit France as much as the UK.
The Daily Telegraph understands that in the event of the agreement being scrapped, ferry companies will be made responsible for stopping illegal migrants from crossing the Channel. Those that fail to do so will be fined £2,000 for each illegal immigrant found stowed away, under existing legislation.
The Prime Minister yesterday hailed Mr Macron’s “strong mandate” as she urged voters to deliver her a similar landslide victory in the General Election. She said: “He’s been elected, as I say, with a very strong mandate. As for Le Touquet agreement, actually it works for the benefit of both the UK and France.
“And obviously the government elected after June 8 will be sitting
down and talking to Monsieur Macron and others about how that system we have works for the benefit of France as well as the benefit of the UK.”
During the EU referendum campaign, Mr Macron vowed to tear up the Le Touquet agreement if the UK voted for Brexit.
He adopted a more conciliatory note during a recent visit to London but insisted that he still wants to renegotiate the agreement.
“I want to put the Le Touquet border deal back on the table,” he said. “It must be renegotiated, especially the parts that deal with the fate of isolated child migrants.”
A UK minister said: “What they need to bear in mind is that if they didn’t have the Le Touquet agreement it would be the ferry companies who would have the responsibility for doing the checks.”
However, a Government source said that officials do not expect the issue to be up for renegotiation.
During the EU referendum campaign David Cameron, the former prime minister, said Brexit would result in “the Jungle” migrant camp in Calais moving to Kent. Charles Clarke, the former Labour home secretary, yesterday argued that it was unlikely to happen because scrapping border controls in France would only attract more migrants.
He said: “It would be very risky. If you don’t have a properly controlled border, it risks becoming a magnet for people to come to France.”
Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader, said: “This agreement makes it possible for them to disperse the migrants. It’s all bluster and puff –
it [Le Touquet] suited them, and it suited us.”
Charlie Elphicke, the Conservative MP for Dover, said: “If the Le Touquet treaty ends it will simply shift the UK’S border from the controls in Calais to the check in desks of the ferry companies.
“It will result in longer queues and more expensive ferries across the channels which will be damaging to France and Britain.”