Emmanuel Macron called on the British government to address the immigration crossings on the English Channel by creating “legal and safe avenues” to Britain.

In a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the French president said that we could not solve the problem from the UK’s point of view. Immigration Do not change.

He called on the bloc to work “harder” with the UK, signaling France’s six-month presidency of the European Union. Brexit Contracts Northern Ireland And fishing rights.

UK government ‘allows immigrants to work illegally’

Regarding immigration, he said the UK government was “trying to adopt an approach that existed in the early 1980s”.

“You allow people to work without paper because it is good for the economy, but it does not match the reality of the current immigration flow,” he continued.

“Secondly, there must be legal and sustainable avenues for immigration to the UK, which is a situation we are facing.

“It simply came to our notice then.

“It simply came to our notice then. ⁇

There are about 1,000 people Entered the UK in small boats So far this year, it has risen from 223 in January 2020, according to data compiled by the PA news agency.

“We can be tough” in the post-Brexit debate

Despite the break-even point, Macron said, “the friendly relations between us and the people of the UK are there and will continue to exist.”

“But to move forward and work together after Brexit means that the UK Government must have good faith and respect the agreement already made with the Union, which will stand with us,” he added.

He said the EU wants to ensure that the agreements are “respected” when it comes to the rights of French fishermen, the Northern Ireland protocol or “important negotiations for the future”.

We can be clear when we say that the terms of the contracts made must be complied with, let alone strictly, he said.

“It simply came to our notice then. ⁇

“We need to regain faith”

Maros Sefkovich, post-Brexit negotiator for the European Commission, praised Mr. Macron’s “wise words.”

“We need to restore trust,” he added: “We will show all the flexibility to achieve this, all goodwill, on the part of the European Union, on the part of the European Commission.

“But we need a good partner on the other side. ⁇

Last week, Mr Sefkovic met with Foreign Secretary List Truss, and the UK did not refuse to apply for Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol if talks failed, thus suspending parts of the agreement.

The British government is seeking to renegotiate the agreement, arguing that it could impede the movement of goods between Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK.