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France has already backed down on one of its biggest Brexit threats

Before the Britain's in/out vote on EU membership, French officials warned that if it d...
Newstalk
Newstalk

16.32 22 Jul 2016


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France has already backed down...

France has already backed down on one of its biggest Brexit threats

Newstalk
Newstalk

16.32 22 Jul 2016


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Before the Britain's in/out vote on EU membership, French officials warned that if it decided to breakaway there could be a massive influx of migrants from France into the UK.

The movement of migrants is governed by the "Le Touquet" agreement - it effectively places the UK/France border on French soil.

Comments from the Mayor of Calais and French finance minister Emmanuel Macron suggested that the UK leaving could void this agreement - and lead to a step-down in the policing of migrants in Calais and Dunkirk who wish to travel to the UK.

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“The day this relationship unravels, migrants will no longer be in Calais," Mr Macron told The Financial Times before the referendum.

Yesterday French President, Francois Hollande indicated that this relationship will not be affected and that border controls in Calais will remain unchanged.

"We consider it as our duty [...] to apply it and also to improve it," he said.

"We are both very clear that the agreement should stay," British PM, Theresa May added.

There are currently 7,307 migrants including asylum-seekers uprooted from the Middle East in Calais according to charities Help Refugees and L’Auberge des Migrants - they expect this number to grow to more than 10,000 by the end of September.

Figures from the UK's Office for National Statistics showed that net migration into the UK rose to 333,000 last year.


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