French Pres. Vows To Step Up Efforts On Illegal Immigrants, Lasting Effective Solution

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) LONDON, July 8 (KUNA) -- French President Emmanuel Macron said the UK and France "will deliver" on stopping small boat crossings, as the two countries were "stepping up" their joint efforts but warned EU support was essential to ensuring "a lasting and effective solution."
Addressing both Houses of Parliament, Macron said: "in this unstable world, hope for a better life elsewhere is legitimate, but we cannot allow our countries' rules for taking in people to be flouted and criminal networks to cynically exploit the hopes of so many individuals with so little respect for human life."
"France and the UK have a shared responsibility to address irregular migration with humanity, solidarity and fairness." he added.
Decisions at this Thursday's UK-France summit will "respond to our aims for co-operation and tangible results on these major issues," he said.
But he warned, "we will only arrive at a lasting and effective solution with action at the European level."
Between January and June nearly 20,000 people arrived in the UK by crossing the English Channel in small boats - up 48 percent compared to the same period over 2024.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is pressing to make a "one in, one out" deal the centerpiece of a new agreement with France.
The arrangement would allow Britain to return migrants who arrive by small boat to France in exchange for accepting asylum seekers with a family connection in the UK. (end)
nbs

MENAFN08072025000071011013ID1109776360