The Prime Minister and French President Emmanuel Macron have
agreed to take forward a groundbreaking partnership to address
illegal Channel crossings and dismantle the people smuggling
networks.
A new pilot scheme will see small boat arrivals being returned to
France then an equal number of migrants will be able to come to
the UK from France through a new legal route – fully documented
and subject to strict security checks.
The pilot agreement is intended to prevent illegal migrant
journeys across Europe to the UK and prevent dangerous small boat
crossings, helping to undermine the business model of organised
gangs profiting from people's misery by showing others these
journeys could result in them being returned back to France –
ultimately saving lives.
Both countries are working to implement the pilot in the coming
weeks, and, once in force, migrants who cross the Channel by
small boat can be detained and removed.
The Prime Minister has made it a priority to reset relationships
across Europe and the government is now unlocking, for the first
time, the levels of co-operation needed to deliver new and bold
approaches to tackle organised immigration crime.
The French government are working to implement new ways of
cracking down on small boats, including a review of their
maritime tactics so their operational teams can intervene on the
water, ensuring taxi boats that pickup migrants waiting in the
water can be stopped.
Prime Minister said:
This ground-breaking deal is a crucial further step in turning
the tide on illegal small boat crossings and restoring order to
our immigration system.
For the first time illegal migrants will be sent back to France –
targeting the heart of these gangs' business model and sending a
clear message that these life-threatening journeys are pointless.
By resetting our relationships across Europe we've made levels of
co-operation possible never seen before. This is about grip not
gimmicks, and what serious government looks like – taking down
these criminal enterprises piece by piece as we secure our
borders through my Plan for Change.
The Home Secretary hosted her French counterpart, Interior
Minister Bruno Retailleau, in Downing Street this morning. The
ministers discussed the work being done both internationally and
domestically to prevent illegal migration, including issues like
clamping down on illegal working and increasing removals of those
with no right to be here.
Since the government came into power, Immigration Enforcement
have increased illegal working activity by 51%, with 10,031
visits leading to 7,130 arrests, and will soon undertake a major
nationwide blitz targeting illegal working hotspots, focusing on
the gig economy and migrants working as delivery riders.
The UK will go further by changing the law to support a clampdown
on illegal working in the gig economy. New biometric kits will be
rolled out for Immigration Enforcement teams so they can do
on-the-spot checks.
Home Secretary said:
Dangerous small boats in our Channel undermine our border
security and put lives at risk. That is why we are so determined
to work with France to go after the criminal smuggler gangs, to
undermine their business model, to begin returns and to prevent
boat crossings.
This new pilot agreement with France is extremely important and
allows us for the first time to return people who have paid to
travel here illegally, and will sit alongside our wider joint
enforcement action, including disrupting supply chains to seize
boats and engines, shutting down social media accounts, and
targeting finances.
Since last summer, we have returned over 30,000 people with no
right to be in the UK and a major surge in immigration
enforcement activity, with a 51% increase in the number of
illegal working arrests.
We are building the foundations of a new and stronger approach to
protecting our border security.
Under the new UK-France pilot, any asylum claim submitted by a
migrant who has crossed the Channel will be considered for
inadmissibility and, if declared inadmissible, the Home Office
will organise readmission of the individual to France.
For those coming to the UK legally, an individual in France will
submit an Expression of Interest application to the new route and
the Home Office will make a decision once they have undergone
biometric checks. Anyone who had arrived by small boat and
returned to France will not be eligible for the legal route to
the UK.
The innovative approach will be tested first before being
gradually ramped up.