France seeks European cooperation despite resistance from other EU states.
France is set to push for the European Union to negotiate a migration and asylum treaty with the UK in an effort to reduce the perilous Channel crossings. The French government, which began its six-month rotating presidency of the EU Council, aims to get the entire EU bloc involved, despite warnings that many other member states lack the interest to pursue such a treaty with Britain.
A senior French government official explained that the goal of the proposed treaty would be to create a legal immigration route to the UK, allowing individuals to legally travel to Britain to seek asylum. The official added that “reciprocity” would be a key element, meaning that the UK could return individuals whose asylum claims were denied to the European country where they initially arrived.
However, it remains uncertain whether the UK would agree to these conditions. The UK had previously rejected an asylum pact during Brexit negotiations, which would have allowed UK authorities to return asylum seekers to the EU, an arrangement that existed when the UK was an EU member. The UK government has long opposed allowing people to apply for asylum outside its borders, fearing it may lead to fraudulent claims.
EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, noted last month that other EU states had limited support for an asylum and migration treaty with the UK, particularly due to ongoing disputes over the Northern Ireland Protocol. Nevertheless, the French official countered by stressing the issue’s broader European significance, pointing to countries like France, Belgium, and the Netherlands that are grappling with significant numbers of people seeking to reach the UK.
