Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are racing to finalise a ‘one in, one out’ Channel migrant deal as more boats were seen crossing today.
The PM and the French president embraced on the steps of Downing Street as he arrived for talks on the final day of his State Visit to the UK.
Kicking off a summit, Mr Macron said the countries ‘shared the same will’ to tackle illegal immigration. Sir Keir said they would deploy ‘new tactics’ and a ‘new level of intent’.
The outlines of a pact have been emerging, with Britain returning some small boat arrivals to France, while accepting equal numbers of asylum seekers.
Supporters say the idea will deter people from making the perilous crossing, although critics have branded it a ‘migrant merry go round’.
However, according to details leaked to French media just 50 Channel migrants per week are expected to be returned.
That would be just one in 17 of the current level of arrivals, which stands at 44,000 for the year so far.
Border Force vessels have been sent as part of the response to multiple boats today.
Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are racing to finalise a ‘one in, one out’ Channel migrant deal at a summit today
The red carpet was rolled out for Mr Macron’s arrival at Downing Street today
The UK and French teams lined up for photos in the Downing Street garden today
More migrants were seen attempting to cross the Channel today. The official readout of a meeting between Sir Keir Mr Macron at No10 yesterday suggested they are focused on the crisis
Underlining the challenge of the Channel crisis, migrants were pictured struggling in the mud at Gravelines on the French coast today
Police watched as ladders were brought to bring the would-be migrants out of the mud today
Nigel Farage posted on X that he was also in the Channel and saw 78 migrants, including four women and children.
He told GB News: ‘This is a classic day in the English Channel over the last five years when the weather’s calm, or a red day, as they call it.
‘You’ve got a migrant boat and we’ve seen it through the binoculars.
‘There’s about 70 people on board, being escorted, all the way over by the French Navy and behind us, we have Border Force sitting on the 12-mile line, waiting for the handover.’
At the start of the UK-France summit, Mr Macron said: ‘We share the same will to tackle networks of illegal immigration through great co-ordination with other European countries.
‘We have often mentioned France is the last destination before Great Britain for these men and women who often journey through paths of misery and are exploited by traffickers.
‘We will work with countries of first entry in Europe (as) our intention is also to engage all countries who share a responsibility alongside us.’
Sir Keir said: ‘In uncertain times, we achieve more by strengthening our relationship with our allies, so that is what today is all about working together on the priorities that we share as two nations.
‘For us, it’s about delivering the changes that the British people want to see, and we will agree the situation in the Channel cannot go on as it is. So we’re bringing new tactics into play and a new level of intent to tackle illegal migration and break the business model of the criminal gangs.’
Downing Street tried to ease tensions yesterday after Mr Macron used a speech to Parliament to complain about ‘pull factors’ encouraging people to try to cross in the first place.
‘The Prime Minister spoke of his Government’s toughening of the system in the past year to ensure rules are respected and enforced, including a massive surge in illegal working arrests to end the false promise of jobs that are used to sell spaces on boats,’ a spokesman said.
Mr Macron played up the warmth in the relationship by using the theme tune to TV show Friends in an Instagram video about his visit.
Touring broadcast studios this morning, Defence Secretary John Healey dismissed concerns of a blame game between the countries.
He told Sky News: ‘The discussions are only taking place because over the last year, we’ve been able to establish with the French a recognition that this is a shared challenge, that they are working together with us, and that’s the reason that we’ve seen increased beach patrols, more drone patrols.’
He added: ‘As a Government, we’re not interested in blame.
‘We’re interested in taking the action together that can help reduce the number of small boats coming across, the number of lives also being lost in the Channel…
‘And we’re interested in re-establishing the control of our borders that the previous government lost in the recent years.’
Both Mr Macron and Sir Keir aim for ‘concrete progress’ on the matter at Thursday’s summit, No 10 said, as well as in other areas like support for Ukraine.
The leaders seemed to be enjoying themselves as they gathered in the No10 garden
The formal discussions took place inside Downing Street today
Following the French-UK summit, the two leaders will host a call with coalition of the willing partners, the proposed peacekeeping mission to deter Russia from attacking Ukraine in future.
In a sign of close alignment on defence, Britain and France have announced they will buy new supplies of Storm Shadow missiles, which both have loaned to Ukraine to strike targets deep inside Russia.
The two nations will also work closely to develop a successor to the long-range missile, the Ministry of Defence said.
