France has withdrawn UK Home Secretary Priti Patel’s invitation to a meeting in Calais, following the publication of a letter by PM Boris Johnson to his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, regarding migrant crossings.
Darmanin contends that, while France was dismayed at its contents, its publication on social media only made matters worse. As a result, the French government has canceled an urgent meeting to deal with the uptick in migrant crossings of the Channel that was scheduled with UK Home Secretary Priti Patel for Sunday.
“Priti Patel is no longer invited to the inter-ministerial meeting on Sunday, which will go ahead with France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and the European Commission,” a senior French official told the FT on Friday, confirming reports in the French press.
In his letter, Johnson had called for joint maritime patrols to prevent migrant crossings of the Channel, and a deal to return migrants who successfully make it to the UK to France. “If those who reach this country were swiftly returned, the incentive for people to put their lives in the hands of traffickers would be significantly reduced,” Johnson had written.
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