Michel Barnier says France has to be 'ruthless' with UK over ongoing migrant crisis

Amid UK-French diplomatic controversy, former EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has supported enacting countermeasures against Britain and deporting asylum-seekers across the English Channel. In an interview with the French media outlet, LCI, Barnier accused the United Kingdom of violating the Brexit agreement and leaving the European Union and France with no choice but to devise retaliation tactics. Barnier also accused UK PM Boris Johnson of a provocation in regard to his recent letter to the French President in which he urged Paris to reach a bilateral readmission deal allowing migrants who crossed the English Channel to be returned to France. 

In the televised interview, Barnier said, “This is obviously an additional provocation from Boris Johnson, who is in a state of mind of confrontation on all subjects with the European Union.” 

“We talk about fishing and fishermen but also about the very serious problem of peace in Ireland where they went back on their commitments and their word. And on this very serious question, which deserves much more than polemics and confrontations, the question of migrants and how to deal intelligently with this human question,” he added. 

Further, according to Barnier, who is a potential centre-right candidate in the French presidential election, this state of affairs and London’s reaction were “absolutely inadmissible”. “What you don’t need is confrontation, it’s sit down at the table and find solutions,” Barnier stated. He also went on to note that one has to be “ruthless” with the British in matters such as this one. In particular, Paris should request London to “welcome all migrants” who want to come to Britain and not elsewhere and to process asylum applications on their own territory, Barnier added. 

Boris Johnson’s letter to Macron 

Meanwhile, it is to mention that in the letter, Johnson called on Macron to take back the people who have reached the UK by saying, “I propose that we put in place a bilateral readmissions agreement to allow all illegal migrants who cross the Channel to be returned.” He further added, “This would have an immediate effect and would significantly reduce - if not stop- the crossings, saving lives by fundamentally breaking the business model of the criminal gangs.”

Boris Johnson also stated that he was “open” to new ideas that would help to stop the trade in humans and also to protect lives. He pointed out that even though they have been able to stop over 20,000 crossings, however, many people have been putting their lives at risk. Johnson highlighted the need to go “further and faster together” and proposed five new measures that he wanted to see taken. In his letter to Macron, the UK PM outlined five steps that included maritime patrol efforts in each other’s territorial waters and using advanced technology. He further mentioned that they need to have surveillance through the air and work on strengthening the Joint Intelligence cell. 

Image: AP/Twitter/Matthimon