PM asks Home Secretary to sign biggest ever migrant deal with France

France to step up beach patrols: PM asks Home Secretary to sign biggest ever deal with Paris to tackle illegal migrants on South Coast

• Rishi Sunak asked Home Secretary to sign biggest ever migrant deal with France
• The PM will meet with Macron tomorrow to thrash out details to tackle migrants 
• The agreement would mean an increase in French officers patrolling beaches 

Rishi Sunak has asked his Home Secretary to sign the biggest ever deal with the French to tackle illegal migrants on the south coast.

The PM will meet French President Emmanuel Macron tomorrow at the COP27 summit in Egypt to thrash out the details.

The agreement, which the UK hopes to sign in the coming weeks, would mean an increase in French officers patrolling beaches.

It comes as Suella Braverman warns in an article for The Mail on Sunday that many Albanians make ‘spurious’ claims that they are ‘modern slaves’, despite paying thousands to get to the UK.

Rishi Sunak has asked his Home Secretary to sign the biggest ever deal with the French to tackle illegal migrants on the south coast

Mr Sunak is now being accused by allies of Boris Johnson of ‘backsliding on Brexit’ to appease Mr Macron to obtain more help from Paris to resolve the Channel migrants crisis.

MPs close to Mr Johnson raised fears that Mr Sunak was backpedalling on ditching EU-related laws, that he was possibly ditching a pledge to set up a ‘Brexit delivery unit’ and also softening his stance on the Northern Ireland protocol.

And there were also reports that Mr Sunak was considering whether to press ahead with the planned 2023 ‘sunset clause’ which would involve scrapping or reforming all EU law by the end of next year.

The scale of that task appeared to have grown last night after the MoS was told that the number of EU-related laws to be scrapped had soared from 2,400 to 3,800.

Brexiteer Tory MPs conceded that the Retained EU Law Bill always included the provision for some Brussels-related laws to be kept till 2026 – the 10th anniversary of the referendum.

But they fear that Mr Sunak is now planning to let many EU rules survive until then as part of a ‘conciliatory approach’ towards the EU – and France in particular. The PM’s pledge to set up a Brexit delivery unit was made last summer in his first bid to become Tory leader.

Last night, one senior Tory said: ‘There is no doubt the Channel migrants crisis is the single biggest issue in MPs’ postbags now.

It comes as Suella Braverman warns in an article for The Mail on Sunday that many Albanians make ‘spurious’ claims that they are ‘modern slaves’, despite paying thousands to get to the UK

‘But I would warn that giving in to Brussels over Northern Ireland or going slow on scrapping EU laws is not the way forward. The experience since the referendum shows you only get anywhere with the EU by being resolute.’

Reports of a slowdown on scrapping EU rules came after warnings from some business leaders that replacing them with new UK standards could be a ‘drag on growth’. However, Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg said last night: ‘I have total confidence the PM will do what he promised – and will continue with the Retained EU Law Bill in its current form.’

Downing Street denied it was soft-pedalling on Brexit to appease the French president. It added: ‘The PM is absolutely committed to getting on with the Bill at the same time as providing some steadiness and certainty for business’.

Source: Read Full Article