Channel deaths fuel UK-France tensions over migrant boats
Associated PressLONDON — The deaths of at least 27 people in the English Channel is fueling tensions between the U.K. and France over how to stop migrants from crossing the world’s busiest shipping route in small boats. Despite a pledge from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron that they would “do everything possible” to stop people smugglers from endangering lives, politicians on both sides of the channel are already blaming their counterparts for failing to prevent Wednesday’s tragedy. Because I remind you, when it comes to this, we are holding the border for the British.” Wednesday’s tragedy comes amid an increase in the number of migrants trying to cross the channel in inflatable boats and other small craft after the COVID-19 pandemic limited air and ship travel and Britain’s departure from the European Union curtailed cooperation with neighboring countries. Now the border has become a hard border in a sense, and there is not yet in place a new system that is able to manage and govern that kind of mobility.’’ But British newspapers took aim at France, publishing images of French police watching migrants launch inflatable boats just hours before 27 people, including a pregnant woman and three children, died in the channel. “Britain has offered to help with people and resources, and I hope the French will now take up that offer and other European countries will come to France’s aid.” Pierre-Henri Dumont, a French lawmaker from the channel port of Calais, warned that the British proposal wouldn’t solve the problem along 300 kilometers of coastline that needs to be constantly monitored.