The pilot agreement between the United Kingdom and France will take effect on Wednesday, announces the French Interior Ministry

The cabinet of the Minister of the Interior. Meanwhile, Bruno Retailleau, said, Tuesday, August 5, that the agreement concluded with London providing for the return to France of migrants who arrived in the United Kingdom on board small boats, in exchange pilot agreement between united kingdom for sending migrants in France, had been ” sign “ more ” enter[a] in force tomorrow “Wednesday.

Mr. However, Retailleau’s office has corrected a statement by the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Nevertheless, who said: “Today we are sending a clear message: if you come here illegally on a small boat, you may be sent back to France. However, »» The British head of government had agreed on this pilot project with Emmanuel Macron. Nevertheless, during his state visit to the United Kingdom at the beginning of July.

The agreement. In addition, valid until June 2026 and whose implementation details have not been specified – in particular the number of migrants concerned -, aims to dissuade people wishing to cross the Channel on precarious boats, passages organized by networks of smugglers. For example, Since the beginning of the year. However, 18 people have died while trying pilot agreement between united kingdom to reach England clandestinely on these small boatsaccording to data from the French Ministry of the Interior.

“We want to be able to extend it”

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The two governments signed the “Final text last week” and the European Commission has “Given the green light to this innovative approach to discourage illegal immigration”said the home office on Monday evening in a press release. The effective implementation of the agreement could take a few days. with first detention of migrants intended to be returned by the end of the week, according to the Home Office.

“Of course. he will start with a reduced number [de migrants] and will then increase, but we want to be able to extend it ”The British Minister of the Interior Minister Yvette Cooper, on BBC radio, said on Tuesday. She did not confirm the figure of 50 people per week mentioned in the press.

Concretely. the migrants taken up by France will only be those who arrived in the United Kingdom by small boat and whose asylum application is deemed inadmissible. In the pilot agreement between united kingdom other sense. London will accept people in France and have made a request on an online platform, by giving priority to those with links with the United Kingdom. The two governments insisted that the new arrivals will be submitted on both sides of the round to a. complete security examination.

“Break the sectors”

Yvette Cooper said that the agreement would be the subject of a monthly evaluation. that “Adjustments” are to be expected. Bruno Retailleau. for his part, rented on x a “Experimental device, the objective of which is clear: to break the sectors”. For his part. the European Commissioner responsible for migration issues, Magnus Brunner, praised the agreement on X, declaring that “The growing number of migrants who have crossed the Channel clandestinely is worrying”.

Five countries in southern Europe, including Greece, Italy and Spain, had expressed their ” concern “saying fear that France will then return the migrants to the first EU country in which they arrived. With a record number of more than 25. 400 people who have arrived in the United Kingdom on small boats since the start of the year, an increase of 49 % over a year, Keir Starmer’s Labor government is under pressure to try to stem this phenomenon.

This project has aroused strong criticism in the north of France. where some elected officials believe that the device is too favorable to the British, while associations of aid to migrants judge that it goes against international texts on the protection of refugees. It is part of the efforts of the British authorities to accelerate the expulsions of dismisses of the right of asylum. at the time when the far -right party Reform UK, of Nigel Farage, rises in power in the polls, and where demonstrations against the reception of asylum seekers regularly take place in the country.