French Interior Minister Asks EU To Handle Migrants At Northern Borders

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th July, 2021) French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin asked for the EU border agency Frontex' assistance and the closer cooperation of northern European states in stemming the flow of illegal migrants crossing the Channel en route to the United Kingdom.

"We need European air surveillance. I myself have contacted Frontex, which is predominantly taking care of southern Europe, and asked them to deal with northern Europe, too, particularly the coastline of Nord-Pas-de-Calais," Darmanin said during his visit to the northern French city of Calais, a point from which many migrants try to cross the Channel to reach the UK, as quoted by The Times.

Darmanin welcomed a deal signed last week under which London pledged 63 million euro ($74 million) to help France curb migrant flow to the UK by deploying more security forces and installing the latest surveillance equipment.

The minister called on the Netherlands and Belgium to foster cooperation, since up to 60% of migrants that enter France on the way to the UK come from Belgium. The issue is to be placed on the agenda after France takes over the EU presidency in January 2021.

In 2020, more than 9,500 crossings or attempted crossings of the Channel were registered, four times as many as in 2019, while the tally for the first half of 2021 already tops the total for last year.