Britain has decided against adopting an Italian-style approach of turning migrant boats back to France in the Channel, according to immigration minister Dame Angela Eagle.
The UK’s stance contrasts with Italy’s recent £90million deal with Tunisia, which allows for the interception and return of migrant vessels.
This decision comes amid a tragic backdrop, as eight migrants lost their lives on Sunday when their overcrowded boat struck rocks and sank off the French coast.
The incident has pushed the number of migrant deaths in the Channel this year to at least 45 – a huge increase from the 12 recorded last year.
Britain has decided against adopting an Italian-style approach of turning migrant boats back to France in the Channel
PA
Despite the ongoing crisis, Britain maintains that it cannot turn back boats without France’s agreement. The French policy is to only intercept vessels if migrants request rescue.
Eagle explained the UK’s position: “The French don’t accept that migrants should always be returned to them.
“If incidents happen in French territorial waters, they go back to France. If they happen in British territorial waters, we bring them into safety in the UK,” she told LBC.
This policy has led to controversial situations where French navy and border force vessels shadow migrant boats to the mid-point of the Channel, where they are then rescued by British Border Force and taken to Dover.
The French argue that intercepting boats without migrants’ permission breaches maritime law and endangers their safety. They will only intervene if migrants request assistance.
Eagle added that the government is exploring options to prosecute boat pilots or facilitators, and is working to ensure that those who behave violently towards French officers can be brought to justice.
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Italy’s approach to migrant boats stands in contrast to Britain’s. The Italian government has struck a £90m deal with Tunisia, allowing their border force and coastguard vessels to turn boats around and return them to the Tunisian coast.
This strategy has caught the attention of Sir Keir Starmer, who met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Monday. They discussed Italy’s success in reducing Mediterranean crossings by more than 60 per cent.
Meanwhile, Britain is bolstering its efforts to combat people smuggling. Eagle announced an additional £75m to strengthen border security command.
She told Times Radio: “We can send people into Europol, extra investigators, more intelligence, we can work with our partners across Europe and in other places to try and put a stop to this vile trade.”
This investment aims to enhance cooperation with European partners in tackling the issue of illegal migration.
Dame Angela Eagle said the Government is exploring options to prosecute boat pilots or facilitators
PA
The UK government is closely monitoring Italy’s plans to process asylum seekers in Albania before deciding whether to pursue a similar policy.
“Firstly we don’t know whether it will work yet, because it hasn’t started. Much of this has been portrayed currently as if it’s already a success but the fact is that it hasn’t started,” the Immigration Minister said.
She stressed that any offshore processing scheme adopted by the UK must meet specific criteria.
“We will see how it works. But what we have said is that any scheme that we deal with for offshore processing or anything else has to be workable, it has to be cost effective, and it also has to be in line with international law,” Eagle said.
She also clarified that Starmer’s meeting with the Italian prime minister should not be interpreted as an endorsement of all Italian migration policies.
Source Agencies
