London, Thanassis Gavos
The UK-France dispute over the management of migratory and refugee flows in the English Channel continues, in the aftermath of the tragedy and the drowning of 27 people aboard an inflatable boat bound for the British coast on Wednesday.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanen has announced the withdrawal of an invitation to his British counterpart Priti Patel to attend Sunday’s meeting of officials from France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and the EU on immigration. .
The reason for this move is the French side, which points to the letter addressed to President Macron by Prime Minister Johnson and its publication via Twitter.
In his letter, the British leader proposed joint British-French patrols on the French coast, use of advanced technology to locate traffickers, patrols of each country in each other’s territorial waters, deepening cooperation in the exchange of information and a bilateral repatriation agreement.
Commenting on the letter, the French president said he was “surprised” that things were “not being taken seriously” by the British side, while Mr Darmanen said he was “disappointed” by the British letter.
A Downing Street spokesman said Mr Johnson had no regrets about revealing the contents of the letter, as it showed a desire for closer co-operation with France.
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