World news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Philippe threatens to end border treaty unless Britain funds French coastal policing
French presidential hopeful Édouard Philippe says Britain’s immigration policies attract migrants crossing the Channel and contribute to dangerous journeys. He has threatened to end a treaty allowing British border checks in France unless the UK changes its approach, and wants Britain to cover the full cost of French coastal policing.
Philippe said 60 to 65 per cent of migrants who reach England obtain legal status, while others can work illegally because controls are weak. The 2003 Le Touquet Agreement permits British checks at French ports and on cross-Channel rail routes; the article says the current three-year policing bill to UK taxpayers is £662 million. Philippe is polling third at 15 per cent, behind Marine Le Pen at about 35 per cent and Jean-Luc Mélenchon at roughly 17.5 per cent.
In short
- Philippe blames UK immigration rules for attracting Channel migrants.
- He may end the treaty allowing UK checks on French soil.
- He wants Britain to pay the full French coastal policing bill.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Philippe’s case is that UK policies and labour-market opportunities help draw people into dangerous Channel crossings, so Britain should address the incentives as well as pay the full cost of policing France’s coast. The Le Touquet arrangements place British border checks on French soil, and he can argue that France should not bear the burden of managing a problem partly shaped by UK policy.
The case against
Britain can argue that ending the treaty would remove checks from French ports and rail routes, making it harder to prevent irregular crossings and potentially increasing the risks to migrants. It can also contend that border control is a shared responsibility, and that the reported policing bill already represents a substantial UK contribution; shifting the full cost to Britain would not by itself address why people make the journey.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “French presidential hopeful attacks Britain’s ‘shocking’ immigration policies for attracting migrants, and wants UK to foot entire Channel coast policing bill”.