Darmanin Urges Treaty on Migrants with UK
Following another disastrous shipwreck in the English Channel, the concept of a UK-EU agreement to regulate crossings is back under discussion. What will be the real impacts of such an agreement?
The Channel Migration Challenge: Towards a New Treaty?
On Tuesday, September 3, 2024, another tragedy struck in the migration crisis at sea, with twelve individuals losing their lives while attempting to cross the Channel from France. This incident, far from being unique, has reignited the debate on European migration policies.
A Political Solution Considered
Outgoing Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has proposed a migration treaty between the United Kingdom and the European Union.
However, the effectiveness of such a measure is debatable. Since the beginning of 2024, 43 people have died under similar circumstances, despite existing bilateral agreements between France and England.
🔴🗣️ “All these successive agreements, if they end up being mere PR stunts that save no lives, will not suffice,” reacts Emma Rafowicz, a Socialist MEP, following Darmanin’s call for a migratory pact between London and the EU. pic.twitter.com/VtGycjwJWq
— franceinfo (@franceinfo) September 4, 2024
Ineffective Agreements
The current agreement, signed in 2022, includes an increase in the number of French police and gendarmes at the borders, along with a financial contribution from Britain.
Yet, despite these measures, clandestine departures have continued. According to Tania Racho, a European law doctor and research associate at Université Paris-Saclay, these reinforcements have not impacted the departures. “It will change nothing; there will always be departures,” she stated.
A Unanimous Demand from Migrant Aid Associations
Migrant aid associations, including Utopia 56, criticize these control policies and demand the establishment of safe passages and improved reception policies. “These deaths are political choices,” declared Utopia 56, highlighting the need for a policy overhaul.
Tania Racho emphasizes the importance of reception over control. “If this money were invested in managing reception or issuing visas, we wouldn’t be in this situation.” She notes that despite the rise in the number of migrants attempting to reach the UK, these numbers remain manageable if migration policies were focused on reception rather than control.
As the debate continues, the solution to this migration crisis remains uncertain. The disaster on September 3 underscores the urgency for a sustainable and humane solution to this ongoing tragedy.