Britain and France are intensifying their joint fight against people smuggling.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron met at Chequers, the country residence north-west of London for British prime ministers, and agreed to “work more closely together” to combat the illegal crossing of the English Channel in small boats, a British government spokesman said on Friday.
The number of migrants travelling by boat rose again in 2024, according to figures from the British government.
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It was also the Channel’s deadliest year, the British news agency PA reported.
Last year, 36,800 people crossed the sea from France to England in small boats. That is a quarter more than in the previous year, and 53 people died during the dangerous crossing.
The Labour government has already announced new sanctions designed to hit the finances of the smuggling networks particularly hard.
Starmer and Macron had also reaffirmed their “unlimited support” for Ukraine and discussed the situation in the Middle East during Thursday evening’s meeting, a British government spokesman said. Both had underlined the “need for unity in uncertain times.”
The French government said in a statement that the two leaders had reaffirmed the importance of guaranteeing sustainable financial support for Ukraine beyond the current year and providing the necessary material to defend Ukrainian territory.
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