Brussels – The European Commission will evaluate the newly announced agreement between France and the United Kingdom regarding the exchange of migrants crossing the English Channel irregularly to ensure its compliance with EU legislation.
Markus Lammert, the community spokesperson for Home Affairs and Migration, stated at a press conference, “We continue to collaborate with France and the United Kingdom, along with other member states, to promote solutions that align with both the spirit and the letter of EU law.”
Brussels has refrained from commenting on the specifics of the pact and sought clarification from London and Paris at the end of June after Spain and the other Med5 countries (Italy, Greece, Malta, and Cyprus) expressed concerns through a letter to community services regarding the bilateral negotiations.
On the previous day, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced an agreement to initiate a pilot project based on the “one for one” principle, where France agrees to accept the return of one irregular migrant from the UK in exchange for the British accepting one asylum seeker. According to Macron, the agreement will undergo scrutiny by the European Commission and member states prior to its signing.
“We are aware of the announcement from the United Kingdom and France,” said Lammert, noting they currently have limited details—“we have a political agreement in principle for a pilot project”—and will provide comments once they have “more information about the substance and the form” of what was announced in London.
“We will analyze it together with the United Kingdom and France; we will engage with all involved parties,” concluded the spokesperson, who highlighted that Brussels finds the “increase” in irregular migrant crossings in the Channel to be “alarming.”
This situation, according to Lammert, “demands a robust response” to mitigate “dangerous” crossings at one of the European Union’s external borders, while he emphasized that the Commission will “assess the specific modalities of cooperation” between France and the United Kingdom.
Upon receiving the letter from the Med5 countries in June, the community executive also underscored the urgency for all EU nations to adhere to the implementation of the Migration and Asylum Pact (which is due by 2026) and to current “fully applicable” regulations, particularly the Dublin rules (which stipulate that the country of entry must manage the migrant’s case). However, it did not specify whether the proposed bilateral deportation agreement between the UK and France aligns with the framework established by the new migration pact. (July 11)
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