France Pressures UK to Share Responsibility for Channel Border Crisis

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau criticizes Britain's reliance on France for border security, calls for EU-UK cooperation, and threatens to revoke key agreements.

France's Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has called for a major overhaul of UK-France migration relations, criticizing the UK's reliance on France to manage Channel border security.
Retailleau has threatened to revoke the 2004 Touquet Accords, which place UK border controls on French soil, if progress on shared responsibilities is not made.
A record 72 migrants have died attempting to cross the Channel in 2024, prompting calls for increased rescue resources and legal migration pathways.
France is demanding the UK co-finance local compensation funds and support emergency services heavily burdened by the ongoing crisis.
Retailleau is set to meet with UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on December 9, followed by a broader meeting with EU nations to seek a comprehensive migration agreement.