After the sinking in Calais, an announcement and nothing else – Liberation
It is an exceptional meeting which was held this Sunday in Calais. After the sinking on Wednesday of a boat of exiles in the Channel which claimed the lives of 27 people, a strong emotion crossed the whole country. In reaction, the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, met his Belgian, German and Dutch counterparts from the Interior at the town hall of Calais, surrounded by the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, and leaders of Europol and Frontex, the European border agency.
After this unprecedented drama, we expected a constructive reaction from the various parties. Unsurprisingly, it was mainly focused on repression, in particular smuggling networks. “There are two types of answers, Gérald Darmanin said during a press conference after the meeting. Great Britain must take its responsibilities, limit the economic attractiveness of its territory and open the legal way to seek asylum. ” The number of crossings has been steadily increasing for three years despite the strengthening of security around the Eurotunnel. Since January, 25,792 migrants have managed to set foot in England, three times more than in 2020. “We must also fight against smugglers”, added the minister, affirming to want to fight “Criminals without criminalizing migrants.” “Those responsible are the exploiters, they are the ones we must fight. “ With a concrete announcement decided on this Sunday: the deployment of a Frontex aircraft for “To help the police day and night to see the networks of smugglers, the crossings and to prevent them”.
For the rest, nothing new at the end of this crisis summit, which seemed especially organized for the symbol. The hypothesis of renegotiating international agreements, in particular those of Le Touquet on the surveillance of the Franco-British border, was mentioned. End it “Would be the solution to all problems. I will leave it to the President of the Republic to discuss international agreements ”, said the resident of Beauvau.
Improbable diplomatic imbroglio
The absence of the British side around the table has undoubtedly not favored progress in this direction. In an improbable diplomatic imbroglio, the French Minister of the Interior had disinvited his counterpart Priti Patel on Friday in response to the request made in Paris by Boris Johnson to take back migrants arriving in Great Britain from France. The British Minister nevertheless announced that she would have “Urgent talks with (his) European counterparts” during the week.
Other solutions defended by the associations: a change of method on the part of the government and the authorities in Calais, singled out for regular expulsions from migrant camps and “police harassment” at work according to the NGOs. But of all this there was no question. On the morning of this crisis meeting, a new police intervention took place on the outskirts of the city. With for but to dislodge exiles who will perhaps decide to climb in a boat.