Burnham and Macron agree to scale up action on small boats
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham hosts French President Emmanuel Macron at Downing Street to discuss scaling up efforts against small boat crossings.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Andy Burnham hosts French President Emmanuel Macron as his first foreign leader at Downing Street.
- Both leaders agree to scale up joint efforts to tackle illegal migration via small boats.
- Discussions also cover long-range missile production in Ukraine and Middle East tensions.
- Macron's visit marks the loan exhibition of the Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to Downing Street for bilateral talks, marking his first visit by a foreign leader since taking office. The high-level meeting centered primarily on intensifying cooperative efforts to curb illegal channel crossings and moving the UK closer to European allies.
Beyond immigration challenges, the two leaders exchanged views on pressing international issues, including the situation in the Middle East. The Prime Minister raised concerns regarding Israeli plans for new settlements in the West Bank, condemning them as unacceptable. They also explored the possibility of establishing local assembly lines in Ukraine for the Scalp long-range missile, a French equivalent to the UK's Storm Shadow system.
The French leader's trip to London serves a dual diplomatic purpose, combining crucial security and migration talks with cultural engagement. President Macron met with King Charles at the British Museum to view the historic Bayeux Tapestry ahead of its public exhibition, highlighting how cultural diplomacy continues to play a vital role in bilateral relations between Paris and London.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Addressing the core migration issue, official data indicates that between 1 January and 1 September 2026, a total of 16,513 people crossed the English Channel in small boats from France, representing a 43% decrease compared to the previous year. However, authorities are now confronting a new tactical shift by smuggling gangs: the deployment of 15-metre mega-dinghies capable of carrying record numbers of migrants, such as a vessel carrying 230 people earlier in August.
To combat these larger vessels, Downing Street announced that 45 additional police officers will be deployed to French beaches as part of a specialized surge team. This deployment aims to dismantle the smuggling networks resorting to oversized dinghies as stricter border crackdowns limit the availability of standard small boats.
"It shows what collaboration can achieve, just as we are also showing on Ukraine, on small boats, and also on strengthening the UK-EU relationship."
Andy Burnham
Source: BBC Politics
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