British Home Secretary Priti Patel says criticism from French President Emmanuel Macron about Britain’s attempts to tackle migrant crossings is “just wrong”.
Mr Macron said that the UK bore responsibility for the deaths of migrants trying to cross the English Channel because of its hypocritical asylum policies.
He criticised the failure of the UK to offer legal immigration routes for those desperate to reach the country, which he says would cut the number of perilous crossings and end makeshift camps on the northern French coast.
“The responsibility for those who die at sea does not fall upon France but upon this British refusal,” Mr Macron told La Voix du Nord.
“The British continue to have a system from the 1980s, which manages economic immigration through hypocrisy. There is no legal immigration route.”
Ms Patel told the House of Commons home affairs committee on Wednesday: “Macron’s comments are wrong. They’re absolutely wrong. So, let me be very, very clear about that.
“Alongside that, I should also say that the French government, the entire French government – both the interior minister and President Macron – are fully aware through the very good work, actually, that our ambassador in Paris and her team does, in terms of number one: the co-operation that we have to have with France to combat the dangerous and unnecessary crossings, dealing with illegal migration, but also working with like-minded partners across Europe. So, those comments are just wrong.”
The two countries fell out after a small boat capsized in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, leaving at least 27 people dead.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he wanted France to take back more migrants whose claims were rejected but Mr Macron refused.
Mr Macron, who is due to launch his re-election bid, is pushing for an EU-wide agreement that would result in the UK taking more migrants. In return, France would take more failed asylum seekers back from the UK.
The deaths have failed to prevent people from trying to cross the Channel.
Numbers were six times higher in January compared with the same month last year.
The number of people who reached the UK in 2021 topped 28,000, making it a record year, with the numbers projected to more than double this year.
Three more people have died this year, migrant charities in the UK say.
Also on Wednesday, Britain's navy rejected a plan to turn away boats illegally carrying migrants to its shores when it takes over responsibility for stopping Channel crossings.
The government said last month that it would give the navy the responsibility.
Ms Patel approved plans last year for border officials to be trained to force boats away from British waters using jet skis.
"The Royal Navy and the Royal Marines will not be using push-back tactics in the English Channel, although a military commander will retain the existing ability to instruct Border Force to use them when appropriate," the Ministry of Defence said on Twitter.
"A further update will follow in due course."
