The French are the true enemy

Telegraph

3 days ago

Ecoutez! The annual summer surge in Channel crossings is upon us, and with it, some interesting sights and sounds. Stand on the Kent coast and stare out to sea, and you may well spot the RNLI 'taxi service' bringing in another boat load of migrants. Put a shell to your ear and you will hear the sound of the French authorities doing absolutely nothing.
As the number of asylum seekers making the crossing reaches almost 1,200 in a single day, our Prime Minister seems unable to do anything more than parrot the same empty words about 'smashing vile people-smuggling gangs.'
As a strategy, it is hopelessly misconceived, for as long there's money to be made from the trade, new people traffickers will spring up to fill any gap. How about Sir Keir Starmer declares war on a much easier target – namely the French?
Having spent the last month prostrating himself to Brussels in the name of 'resetting' the UK's relationship with the EU, the last thing that Starmer will want is a diplomatic row with our neighbours. However, as the gendarmes stand idly by on the beaches of Dunkirk, watching hundreds of migrants board boats with a giant Gallic shrug, it is time for the Prime Minister to face facts. So far from being our allies, the French are perilously close to becoming the enemy in this fight.
During his premiership, Rishi Sunak dramatically increased the amount of money we throw at the French to help us deal with the crisis, announcing a £500 million deal with president Emmanuel Macron.
The cash, to be paid over three years, was earmarked for 500 extra French police officers and a new detention centre. Naturally, the French lapped it up as eagerly as onion soup. More than two years later, what is there to show for this colossal investment? The square root of rien. To the surprise of absolutely no-one, the £12.5 million detention centre, which was supposed to be operational by the end of 2026, is already a year behind schedule.
Given French labour laws and general lackadaisical attitudes to work, Starmer will be lucky if he is still in Number 10 when it finally opens. In the meantime, the French aren't even doing the small stuff. Gendarmes seem curiously reluctant to disable dinghies even when there are no migrants or people smugglers in the vicinity of the boats.
It would take no more than a few minutes to puncture the vessels that are regularly (and very obviously) moored along the River Aa, which leads to the French Channel, yet patrol cars have been filmed gaily driving by. If that is too adventurous, how about erecting some simple fences?
Sure, there is a long coastline to patrol, but those familiar with key departure points say physical barriers would make a big difference at certain hotspots. If the Americans can put up more than 1,000 miles of forbidding barbed wire fences, sensors, cameras and other surveillance equipment along the US-Mexico border, surely the French could come up with the odd crash barrier?
Yesterday a French politician blamed us for this unholy mess, citing our 'very weak asylum policy.' Eleonore Caroit also suggested that if we want to stop migrants abusing our generosity, we stop rolling out the red carpet in the form of lavish accommodation and benefits. She is absolutely right – but it would be spectacularly helpful if her compatriots also stopped taking us for a ride.