France’s neighbours, especially Britain, must cooperate more in the fight against smuggling networks, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said on Thursday 25 November, after at least 27 migrants died in a shipwreck off Calais the previous day.
“We must stop being the only ones able to fight against the smugglers”, the minister said on RTL, calling on the Belgian, German and British authorities “to help us fight against the smugglers, who are international and who make a mockery of the borders”. The Frenchman was due to meet British Home Secretary Priti Patel on Thursday.
French President Emmanuel Macron also spoke to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The two countries expressed their willingness to intensify joint efforts to fight smuggling networks, AFP reported.
In addition, the French government has invited the Belgian, German, Dutch and British immigration ministers, as well as the European Commission, to a meeting on Sunday in Calais. EU Commissioner Ylva Johansson was also due to speak to Darmanin on Thursday afternoon about action against smugglers and the role of the Frontex agency. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)