Franco-British Relations Sour On Immigration Accusations

Relations between the UK and France have soured further today, with UK Home Secretary Priti Patel pushing back against comments from French President Emmanuel Macron regarding illegal immigration across the English Channel.

• Speaking to a regional newspaper in northern France, Macron stated that the UK refusal to open a legal route to crossing the Channel was the cause of the numerous deaths recorded in the stretch of water, saying that, “The responsibility for those who die at sea does not fall upon France but upon this British refusal...The British continue to have a system from the 1980s, which manages economic immigration through hypocrisy,”
• This morning, speaking to the House of Commons Home Affairs select committee, Patel stated that, "Macron's comments are wrong, they are absolutely wrong".
• The upcoming French presidential election, taking place on April 10 and 24, means that Franco-British relations are likely to remain in the cooler for at least the coming few months, with a strong line on UK actions in the Channel (and notably on Brexit/fisheries) essential if the incumbent Macron is going to shore up his support in right-winger Marine Le Pen's heartlands in the north east of the country.