The British government is reportedly ‘frustrated’ with France for its failure to stem the numbers of migrants making their way illegally across the Channel.
What’s new? It’s a gripe going back years and the solution has always been the same: to throw more money to France in return for a solemn promise from Paris that patrols will be increased to reduce the numbers looking to enter Britain illegally.
In February 2016, for example, David Cameron’s government announced it was giving €20 million (£17.2 million) more to France – on top of the €60 million (£52 million) already funnelled across the water – in order to boost ‘fighting trafficking networks’.
However, one junior minister in Francois Hollande’s government warned that the upcoming referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU could have an adverse effect on cross-Channel cooperation if the people voted to leave.
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