UK PM Boris Johnson asks French govt to stop migrants crossing English Channel: Report

After a record 1,185 migrants crossed the English Channel on November 11, Prime Minister Boris Johnson asked France to 'close off' the flow of migrants crossing into their country in order to prevent them from sailing to the United Kingdom, reported Daily Mail. The UK Prime Minister also slammed French President Emmanuel Macron's government for not policing their beaches to prevent migrants from sailing to Britain in boats. Johnson further claimed that it is not feasible for UK Border Force to turn migrants back securely in the English Channel as he defended the Home Secretary of the United Kingdom Priti Patel's border policies.

While speaking at a vaccination centre in southeast London, he stated that the UK was dealing with the migrant crisis in the "most effective" way possible, while also urging France to close its borders to stop the flow of migrants arriving in the country. "The migrants are coming from France. If the French authorities refuse or are unable to supervise those departures, it will be extremely difficult for us to return them back at sea. We would like to do it in a safe and humane manner, but I must admit it's quite tough," he was quoted as saying by Sky News. 

UK condemns France for failing to resolve immigration issue

As the record daily number of migrants crossed the English Channel, France was condemned for 'ceding sovereign territory to people smugglers' in an explosive attack on Emmanuel Macron's government. The two watercrafts were found adrift off the coast of Calais were discovered by French coastguard officers, who stated they picked up two of them while the hunt for the other three was called off. It should be mentioned here that on November 11, four Border Force boats from the British government intercepted the migrant boats that were spotted off the coast, and the border security escorted them into Dover, reported BBC News. 

Priti Patel promised in 2019 that her government will take the necessary steps to manage the migrant crossing by spring 2020. She even pledged in August last year to render the migratory route unviable. The idea of turning boats back to the sea was also explored by the UK government, although it has yet to be implemented and has been criticised by the French government. In addition, the British government has agreed to pay France £54 million to help curb increasing immigration. However, reports suggest that, the rate of migration has increased in the last two years.

Image: AP