Small boats crossing the English Channel is a “shared priority that requires shared solutions”, Emmanuel Macron and Sir Keir Starmer have agreed ahead of a summit between France and Britain.
The Prime Minister and France’s president insisted their two countries “need to go further” to stem the tide of boats making the journey, Downing Street said after the leaders’ held a head-to-head meeting at No 10.
The UK has been pressing for tougher action from the French authorities on the beaches along the English Channel coast, while Mr Macron has suggested Britain needs to make efforts to reduce the “pull factors” attracting migrants.
The Prime Minister welcomed the French president to Downing Street on Wednesday ahead of a full UK-France summit on Thursday involving ministerial teams from both nations.
“The leaders agreed tackling the threat of irregular migration and small boat crossings is a shared priority that requires shared solutions,” a Downing Street spokesperson said after the meeting.
They added: “The Prime Minister spoke of his Government’s toughening of the system in the past year to ensure rules are respected and enforced, including a massive surge in illegal working arrests to end the false promise of jobs that are used to sell spaces on boats.
“The two leaders agreed on the need to go further and make progress on new and innovative solutions, including a new deterrent to break the business model of these gangs.”
Both Mr Macron and Sir Keir aim for “concrete progress” on the matter at Thursday’s summit, No 10 indicated, as well as on other joint working, like support for Ukraine.
Following their meeting, the two leaders visited the British Museum, where they celebrated plans for a cultural exchange of some the UK and France’s most historic artefacts.
The Bayeux Tapestry, depicting the Norman conquest of England, will be loaned to the British Museum in exchange for the Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo burial treasures as part of the swap.
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