Keir Starmer met with Emmanuel Macron after the European Political Committee (Image: Getty)
A British vessel has taken Channel migrants back to France for the first time in a sign of improving Anglo-French cooperation over small boats.
Border Force Ranger picked up 13 people off the coast of Gravelines – inside French territorial waters - and took them to Calais on Wednesday as part of a joint rescue operation.
It follows months of diplomacy between London and Paris in a bid to prevent more migrant deaths in the Channel.
Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak raised the plan – codenamed Operation Windspire - with French President Emmanuel Macron during a bilateral call several months ago.
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Under the proposal, British vessels could enter French waters and rescue migrants if they were in distress. And the Home Office was also considering renting a rescue ship from Poland to conduct more joint operations.
The confidential plan was put into action for the first time in this week’s rescue.
An insider told the Daily Express: “It was always planned that this would be done with French co-operation and would not be possible without their buy-in.”
Government officials see the first joint operation to rescue migrants as an example of how Sir Keir Starmer’s attempt to reset relations with Europe is already working.
The French maritime prefecture said 59 people were brought on board the French ship PSP Cormoran in the operation, including an unconscious person who could not be resuscitated by the medical team. The Ranger catamaran saved 13 people and both vessels took the migrants back to Calais.
The two leaders are hoping to 'reset' relations (Image: Getty)
Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron on a pre-dinner stroll (Image: Getty)
British officials said the actions were in line with maritime law where vessels have a duty to assist those in distress and engage in rescue operations, which in this case were led by the French.
They believe it is evidence of what the UK can do and is doing with the French to tackle a “shared problem”.
But a source warned “not every crossing attempt is now going to be intercepted and taken back to France.”
French President Emmanuel Macron has ruled out a bilateral returns deal with the UK.
He said: “If we want to fix the situation in the channel it’s not just a bilateral situation. It’s how to work much more efficiently with European countries, of third countries, and also different countries in order to clearly fight efficiently against all the smugglers.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer made migration a key theme of the European Political Community, hosted by the UK at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, describing the issue of migrants crossing the Mediterranean and the Channel as “a crisis”.
And Sir Keir suggested he would be open to offshore processing of migrants as a way of solving the small boats crisis.
Asked about a processing agreement between Albania and Italy, he told reporters: “Obviously there’s interest in how that might work, but that wasn’t actually the central discussion in the taskforce, in the round table that we had.
“It was about practical measures that we want to discuss, which is about how we deal with taking the gangs down in the first place.
“But look, I’m a practical person, I’m a pragmatist and I’ve always said we’ll look at what works.
“And where cases can be processed closer to origin, then that is something which of course ought to be looked at.”
At least 14,759 migrants have crossed the English Channel so far this year, up from 13,774 at the same point in 2023.
Sir Keir said the European Political Community summit was an opportunity to “set a new path on illegal migration” and say “no more” to the “crisis” of people smuggling.
Speaking at the opening plenary, the Prime Minister said: “It is now I think a crisis.
“As we speak, as we gather here, a criminal empire is at work in every country represented here today, profiting off human misery and desperation, prepared to send infants, babies, pregnant mothers, innocent people to their deaths.
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“And last week four more souls, and actually last night another one, were lost in the waters of the English Channel - a chilling reminder of the human cost of this vile trade.
“This summit is an opportunity to set a new path on illegal migration, to transform the way that we work together on border security and law enforcement and to say together ‘no more’. And in the UK, our new border security command will work in partnership with you. We must combine our resources, share intelligence, share tactics, shut down the smuggling routes, and smash the gangs.”
Sir Keir said the “root causes” driving people from their homes, such as conflict, climate change and extreme poverty also needed to be addressed.
Addressing journalists at the end of the summit, he announced an ￡84 million package of aid to Africa and the Middle East to tackle migration “at source”.
Mr Macron claimed yesterday (thurs) the French response to the Channel migrant crisis is “improving”.
The French President insisted “we do our best” despite a record number of small boat crossings in the first half of this year.
Mr Macron did not deny that Paris is hoping to secure a new deal with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to bolster the hunt for smuggling gangs.
He said, as he arrived in Blenheim Palace for the European Political Community meeting, “It is obviously always a very delicate humanitarian situation so our willingness is constantly to improve the situation.”
Asked again if a deal could be done, Macron said: “This is my point. There is no silver bullet because we do know the situation. We do our best. We did improve the situation during the past few years…”
Mr Macron said there was a need to “prevent this migration before the arrivals in France”.
The French President also told broadcasters that he is “very happy” and “this is a great opportunity for a reset” as Sir Keir looks set to align the UK with the EU.
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But there are concerns over the failures of the French police to stop the small boats from leaving the French beaches.
Last week a Daily Express photographer witnessed French police once again failing to stop a dinghy from launching, despite the alarming sight of asylum seekers wading out into the water after it.
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