The European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, expressed her concerns on Thursday 9 March ahead of a ministerial meeting over the UK's proposed law to deny migrants arriving on small boats the right to seek asylum.
She warned that this could breach the UK’s “international obligations”, she warned.
The Commissioner had discussed this issue the previous day with the UK Home Secretary, Suella Braverman. “My immediate reaction is to ask myself whether this project meets international obligations. She promised me that this was the case, so let us hope she is right, but we need to look into it a bit more”, Ms Johansson said.
However, the European Commission is of the opinion that it can only be down to “international institutions and the UK authorities” to remedy these potential violations of international law.
On Thursday morning, the French Minister for the Interior Gérald Darmanin called for an agreement on legal migration to be concluded between the EU and the UK. The subject will be discussed on 10 March at a Franco-British Council. This project must not have “negative consequences for our relationship”, the minister added. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)