'BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS'
Boris Johnson accuses French of allowing migrant smugglers to ‘get away with murder’
BORIS Johnson last night accused the French of letting migrant smugglers “get away with murder”.
Amid the unfolding tragedy in the Channel, the PM said current efforts to prevent the flow of small boats have not been enough.
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Britain has already paid France £54million to stem the Channel crossing tide.
And the PM insisted Britain is ready with further support for the French authorities — an offer which has so far been shunned.
France’s President Macron has been described as having “blood on his hands” by playing politics in the Channel.
It comes as:
- French cops idly watch as migrant rafts head for UK hours before 27 including 5 women and young girl die in the Channel
- France warned a year ago that turning a blind eye to Channel crossings would create a graveyard at sea
- Inflatable dinghy that sank in Channel, killing 27, was ‘frail’ and like a ‘paddling pool’
Mr Johnson said there had been difficulties in persuading the French to act against people trafficking gangs.
He said: “There is no doubt at all the gangs concerned unless they are shown that their business model won’t work, will continue to deceive people, to put lives at risk and get away with murder.
“We’ve had difficulties persuading some of our partners, particularly the French, to do things in a way that we think the situation deserves.
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“Our offer is to increase our support but also to work together on the beaches.
“That’s something I hope will be acceptable now.”
This morning the immigration minister Kevin Foster said the UK is ready to offer more support if France changes its mind.
He pointed out that British police already operate on French soil at Calais and the Eurostar terminal in Paris carrying out passport checks.
And he said: "We're prepared to offer resources we're prepared to offer literally people to ho there and help and assist the French authorities."
He also urged the EU to drop its opposition to a returns agreement which would help put an end to the "evil" smuggling trade.
Mr Foster said the Government is pressing ahead with plans to introduce life sentences for people smugglers and urged Labour to back the move.
But he said ministers aren't considering setting up centres in Northern France where migrants could apply for asylum without getting on boats.
He said that would only encourage more people to head to Europe via the deadly Mediterranean route which claims thousands of lives a year.
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Instead he insisted the solution is to open up more legal routes for asylum from war zones like Afghanistan.
He added: "We're even working to see how we can open up some more economic migration routes to those who are stuck in refugee camps in regions of conflict."
But today French interior minister Gerald Darmanin appeared to try and blame the UK for yesterday's tragedy.
He accused Priti Patel of "bad immigration management" and said Britain must change its work and welfare wars to stop being an "El Dorado" for migrants.
And he also pointed the finger at Belgium and Germany for not doing enough to stop people reaching the beaches of Northern France.
He said: "It's an international problem. We tell our Belgian, German and British friends they should help us fight traffickers that work at an international level."
Meanwhile, MPs and campaigners slammed the French, with Nigel Farage saying: “I have warned this was inevitable.
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“Both France and the UK have blood on their hands.”
Conservative MP Jacob Young said: “These deaths must be a wake up call to the French Government.”
Nadhim Zahawi says small boats crisis should 'worry us all'
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