France rejects UK's offer to guard their beaches over sovereignty breach concerns: Report

As the number of migrants crossing the English Channel this year surpassed the total for 2020, Britain volunteered to send police officers to France to assist in beach patrols, which France has turned down, as per the reports of Daily Mail. However, Home Secretary Priti Patel stated that talks over joint British-French marine patrols in the Channel are still ongoing.

Patel also said that the UK had offered France Border Force and Police officers to help bolster gendarmes around the European coastline, but that such a scheme would be considered a violation of French sovereignty, according to Daily Mail. This month, the number of migrants crossing the Channel reached a new high of 4,019, surpassing the previous high of 3,879 in September, bringing the year's total to a record-breaking 23,761.

Some Conservatives are concerned about the delay on the problem

Senior Conservatives cautioned that failing to address the unprecedented number of migrants crossing the English Channel might spark the formation of a new UKIP-style political party. Some Conservatives are concerned that delay on the problem could lead to the creation of a new right-wing political movement, which could cost the Conservatives their majority in the next general election, according to Daily Mail.

Patel has been accused of false promises by Labour Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds for her unwillingness to address the issue. She retaliated by claiming that the Conservatives have a long-term immigration strategy. She stated that there is no quick cure for this situation and that their asylum system needs to be completely reformed, according to Daily Mail. UK PM Boris Johnson has ordered a Whitehall study of Channel crossings, reportedly because he is exasperated by his government's failure to limit the number of migrants making the journey in small boats. The study will be led by Stephen Barclay, who is the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. It will look for answers to the issue and ensure that other ministries, not only the Home Office, contribute.

77% of Conservatives believe the government's stance on migrant crossings is too soft

The review comes after a week of record-breaking migrant Channel crossings, with 1,000 migrants reaching British beaches on Tuesday alone, and about 24,000 so far this year. According to a study conducted for the Sunday Telegraph, 77% of Conservatives believe the government's stance on migrant crossings is too soft. For the general population, the percentage was 55%.

Image: AP