The letter to the French president, which Johnson also posted on Twitter, addresses five points of interest to help tackle the immigration problem. The French and British leaders and ministers of the two countries have already made several proposals to prevent a repeat of the tragedy in the canal that killed at least 27 people on Wednesday.
In his letter, Johnson proposes joint patrols at sea and also wants to send British agents and border guards to France to help guard the coast. According to the British Prime Minister, modern technologies, such as radars, can also be used more effectively on the Canal, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
Johnson said that if France wanted to take back migrants traveling to Britain, that would have a huge impact because it would affect the business model of people smugglers. French authorities have not yet responded to the proposal, and interior ministers will meet on Sunday.
French President Macron said on Thursday that close cooperation with the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom and the European Commission is necessary to rectify the problem. At a press conference, Macron said France is a transit country and that once migrants reach the Channel Coast, “it is already too late”.
