Burnham and Macron pledge greater cooperation against illegal crossings in the English Channel

Relations between Great Britain and France, illegal migration, Ukraine and developments in the Middle East were at the center of the meeting between British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Macron was welcomed by Burnham at Downing Street, becoming the first foreign leader to visit the new British prime minister since he took office in July.

During the talks, the two leaders agreed to expand joint efforts to combat illegal migration and further reduce crossings of the English Channel by small boats.

Downing Street stated after the meeting that London and Paris have made progress in reducing these crossings, but underlined that further measures are needed.

The issue has become more urgent after the emergence of so-called “mega-boats”. In early August, a vessel about 15 meters long transported a record number of 230 migrants to the United Kingdom.

Despite this, arrivals by small boats in the United Kingdom this summer fell to the lowest level recorded in seven years.

According to the British government, cooperation with France will be essential for further reducing the number of crossings. Burnham and Macron examined ways to strengthen coordination between London and Paris with the aim of curbing illegal migration.

Burnham described the French president’s visit as “very fitting” and called Macron “our closest neighbor and friend Emmanuel”.

“This shows what cooperation can achieve, just as we are demonstrating in Ukraine, on small boats and also in strengthening Great Britain-EU relations,” Burnham said.

Macron said that the bond between the two countries is “very strong” and said he had arrived in London with “readiness and commitment to draw closer”.

The bilateral meeting also included the British government’s efforts to bring the United Kingdom closer to Europe.

Burnham expressed concern about the impact the “Made in Europe” plan, which is being drawn up in Brussels to protect European Union industries, could have on British sectors.

The British prime minister has previously sought closer ties with Europe, a stance that was also pursued by his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer.

Macron’s visit was also considered a political signal that strengthening relations with Paris is a priority for the new British government.