Is it Britain or France that is exploiting the migrant tragedy for political ends?

SIR – You report (November 26) that President Emmanuel Macron urged our Prime Minister “to refrain from exploiting a tragic situation for political ends”. I believe the term used for this in psychology is projection. Nigel Price

Wilmslow, Cheshire

SIR – If Boris Johnson sells out our fishermen in exchange for new border arrangements in France, with a view to stopping the illegal immigrants, then I believe he – along with the Conservatives – will be finished.

John Hayter

Sandwich, Kent

SIR – It is unfathomable that the British and French security services do not know exactly who the smugglers are. How have they failed to shut down the trade in conspicuous equipment such as 40-seater inflatables?

Both governments seem complicit in the smuggling trade. Twenty-seven people are dead. The whole situation is grotesque.

John Gordon

Bradford-on-avon, Wiltshire

SIR – Will the Prime Minister now cease calling the French “our friends”. They are clearly not.

Peter Brown

Lower Stondon, Bedfordshire

SIR – Presumably the French would not tolerate their own type of behaviour if a neighbouring country, such as Italy, behaved in the way they (the French) do towards Britain.

Simon Mcilroy

Croydon, Surrey

SIR – If inflatables were not sold in France, there would be very few illegal crossings.

Anne Langley

Wolverhampton

SIR – Since the Schengen agreement allows the free movement of migrants between the countries of the EU, surely it should have some pan-eu migrant board to deal with them.

Allowing migrants to get to the Channel unhindered simply dumps the problem on to the French, who, in turn, seek to pass it on to Britain. It seems that the countries of the EU are not actually so close in ideals as they would have us believe.

Gillian Courage

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire