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| The Calais border treaty and Brexit: what is France saying? | The Calais border treaty and Brexit: what is France saying? |
| (6 months later) | |
| What exactly has France said? | What exactly has France said? |
| The French economic affairs minister, Emmanuel Macron, has said that France could pull out of the Le Touquet agreement – the bilateral treaty that, by allowing British border force officers to carry out passport checks in Calais, effectively places part of Britain’s border with France in the French port – if Britain were to vote to leave the European Union. | The French economic affairs minister, Emmanuel Macron, has said that France could pull out of the Le Touquet agreement – the bilateral treaty that, by allowing British border force officers to carry out passport checks in Calais, effectively places part of Britain’s border with France in the French port – if Britain were to vote to leave the European Union. |
| “The day this relationship unravels, migrants will no longer be in Calais,” Macron told the Financial Times, prompting fears that the “Jungle” shantytown, which houses up to 3,500 refugees and migrants trying to reach the UK and is being partially dismantled by French authorities, could move to the British side of the Channel. | “The day this relationship unravels, migrants will no longer be in Calais,” Macron told the Financial Times, prompting fears that the “Jungle” shantytown, which houses up to 3,500 refugees and migrants trying to reach the UK and is being partially dismantled by French authorities, could move to the British side of the Channel. |
| Is this a new threat? | Is this a new threat? |
| Macron’s remarks follow similar comments by the centre-right French politician Xavier Bertrand, elected president of the Nord Pas-de-Calais regional council in December, who has repeatedly called the 2003 accord into question and argued the border should be opened to address the growing humanitarian problem posed by the “Jungle”. | Macron’s remarks follow similar comments by the centre-right French politician Xavier Bertrand, elected president of the Nord Pas-de-Calais regional council in December, who has repeatedly called the 2003 accord into question and argued the border should be opened to address the growing humanitarian problem posed by the “Jungle”. |
| “If Britain leaves Europe, right away the border will leave Calais and go to Dover,” Bertrand said last month. “We will not continue to guard the border for Britain if Britain is no longer in the European Union.” | “If Britain leaves Europe, right away the border will leave Calais and go to Dover,” Bertrand said last month. “We will not continue to guard the border for Britain if Britain is no longer in the European Union.” |
| The centre-right mayor of Calais, Natacha Bouchart, and Marine Le Pen, the far-right Front National leader whose party enjoys strong support in north-western France and who sits on the Nord Pas-de-Calais regional council, have issued similar warnings. | The centre-right mayor of Calais, Natacha Bouchart, and Marine Le Pen, the far-right Front National leader whose party enjoys strong support in north-western France and who sits on the Nord Pas-de-Calais regional council, have issued similar warnings. |
| The British prime minister, David Cameron, has seized on the French misgivings as a way of boosting support for the remain campaign, warning last month that in the event of Brexit, France could tear up the Le Touquet accord, leading to migrant camps springing up in south-east England. | The British prime minister, David Cameron, has seized on the French misgivings as a way of boosting support for the remain campaign, warning last month that in the event of Brexit, France could tear up the Le Touquet accord, leading to migrant camps springing up in south-east England. |
| What is France’s official position? | What is France’s official position? |
| Although Manuel Valls, the French prime minister, said in 2013 that he would like to see “certain aspects” revised, there is no indication that Paris is seriously considering backing out of the treaty, which it could do simply by giving two years’ notice. | Although Manuel Valls, the French prime minister, said in 2013 that he would like to see “certain aspects” revised, there is no indication that Paris is seriously considering backing out of the treaty, which it could do simply by giving two years’ notice. |
| A senior French government source told the AFP news agency this week that the accords “are not destined to be revoked”. The main problem for France is that it is hard to see how a loosening of the border controls around Calais would do anything other than increase the numbers of migrants arriving on the northern French coast seeking to reach Britain. | A senior French government source told the AFP news agency this week that the accords “are not destined to be revoked”. The main problem for France is that it is hard to see how a loosening of the border controls around Calais would do anything other than increase the numbers of migrants arriving on the northern French coast seeking to reach Britain. |
| Bernard Cazeneuve, the French interior minister, could not have been much clearer, saying last October: “Calling for the border with the English to be opened is not a responsible solution. It would send a signal to people smugglers and would lead migrants to flow to Calais in far greater numbers – a humanitarian disaster would ensue. It is a foolhardy path; the government will not pursue it.” | Bernard Cazeneuve, the French interior minister, could not have been much clearer, saying last October: “Calling for the border with the English to be opened is not a responsible solution. It would send a signal to people smugglers and would lead migrants to flow to Calais in far greater numbers – a humanitarian disaster would ensue. It is a foolhardy path; the government will not pursue it.” |
| Fabienne Buccio, the regional prefect, has said the current arrangements could be seen to be working. The camp’s population had nearly halved since December, she said, with 80% of the 3,000 or so who had left applying for asylum in France – the message that the Channel is now very hard to cross is getting through. | Fabienne Buccio, the regional prefect, has said the current arrangements could be seen to be working. The camp’s population had nearly halved since December, she said, with 80% of the 3,000 or so who had left applying for asylum in France – the message that the Channel is now very hard to cross is getting through. |
| So what is going on? | So what is going on? |
| Politics. The squalid “Jungle” and its desperate residents – and so, by extension, the Le Touquet accords – are, for obvious reasons, very unpopular locally. They are seen by both the centre-right politicians who run the municipal and regional councils and the influential far right as an easy target, likely to garner them support and votes. | Politics. The squalid “Jungle” and its desperate residents – and so, by extension, the Le Touquet accords – are, for obvious reasons, very unpopular locally. They are seen by both the centre-right politicians who run the municipal and regional councils and the influential far right as an easy target, likely to garner them support and votes. |
| France’s Socialist president, François Hollande, however, is eager to avoid a Brexit for all sorts of reasons – one of them being that Britain quitting the EU would play into the hands of the Eurosceptic Le Pen in next year’s presidential elections. | France’s Socialist president, François Hollande, however, is eager to avoid a Brexit for all sorts of reasons – one of them being that Britain quitting the EU would play into the hands of the Eurosceptic Le Pen in next year’s presidential elections. |
| It seems likely that, for the time being at least, Hollande will content himself with soothing the concerns of the centre right in France by exacting an ever greater contribution from Britain to the border policing effort. An extra €20m in funding, on top of the €60m London already provides, was announced on Thursday to boost “the security of the access area” to the Channel tunnel and the port area and provide shelters for migrants in France. | It seems likely that, for the time being at least, Hollande will content himself with soothing the concerns of the centre right in France by exacting an ever greater contribution from Britain to the border policing effort. An extra €20m in funding, on top of the €60m London already provides, was announced on Thursday to boost “the security of the access area” to the Channel tunnel and the port area and provide shelters for migrants in France. |
| Macron, who is young, ambitious, a former banker and often at odds with his Socialist colleagues, may well – and not for the first time – have spoken out of turn. | Macron, who is young, ambitious, a former banker and often at odds with his Socialist colleagues, may well – and not for the first time – have spoken out of turn. |