UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer welcomed Emmanuel Macron to Downing Street, as the two leaders met to discuss small boat crossings and what more could be done to tackle illegal migration.
The French president arrived on Tuesday for the first state visit by an EU head of state since Brexit.
Speaking inside Downing Street, Starmer said the meetings were “hugely symbolic of the closeness between our countries and our personal relationship”.
He added: “Whether it’s on defence and security, whether it’s on Ukraine, whether it’s on trade and economy, business opportunities, capabilities, we think alike, we work together, and I feel this relationship is as strong as it’s ever been.”
Echoing the PM’s words, Macron said the UK and France would “build stronger links and make big moves forward on defence, security, technology, economy,” as well as “more exchange on culture, education, research and when we look at climate change, AI, but as well as challenging times from Ukraine to Middle East.”
“The partnership and the friendship between UK and France is absolutely, I would say, a game changer for not just Europe, but a lot of these issues,” the president added.
Speaking after the meeting, a Downing Street spokesperson confirmed, “the leaders agreed tackling the threat of irregular migration and small boat crossings is a shared priority that requires shared solutions.”
They went on to add that the prime minister spoke about the UK’s toughening of the system in the past year to ensure rules are respected and enforced, pointing to a “massive surge in illegal working arrests to end the false promise of jobs that are used to sell spaces on boats.”
They finished: “The two leaders agreed on the need to go further and make progress on new and innovative solutions, including a new deterrent to break the business model of these gangs.”
Starmer hopes to strike a “one in, one out” deal to send small boat migrants back to the continent, in exchange for the UK accepting asylum seekers in Europe who have a British link.
In a speech to MPs and peers on Tuesday, Mr Macron promised to deliver on measures to cut the number of migrants crossing the English Channel, describing the issue as a “burden” to both countries.
He said France and the UK have a “shared responsibility to address irregular migration with humanity, solidarity and fairness”.
Decisions at a Franco-British summit on Thursday will respond to “our aims for co-operation and tangible results on these major issues”, Mr Macron added.Last week, the total number of people crossing the Channel in small boats this year passed 20,000.
Government minister Nick Thomas-Symonds told ITV News he wouldn’t be drawn on details as to what any potential deal may include.
He insisted however that working with the French was already making a difference, despite record numbers making the trip in small boats so far in 2025.
Thomas-Symonds said, more broadly, any talks between Starmer and Macron would focus on trade, defence and deepening cooperation on illegal migration.
There had been some reporting that France felt the UK wasn’t doing enough to crackdown on illegal workers, making the prospect of making the crossing more appealing.
Thomas-Symonds rejected this saying 7,000 arrests had already been made in that area.
“This is a complex issue, I’m not going to pretend otherwise,” he told us.
“This government has cracked down on illegal working, it’s important that we’re working with France and other European countries… but also legislation in the UK.
“The Border’s Bill is giving police and law enforcement equivalent powers with tackling terrorism for tackling people smuggling. That’s the serious work of tackling this issue – not performative politics or gimmicks.”
On the results seen so far Thomas-Symonds claimed: “Working with the French authorities we have prevented 12,000 people from crossing the channel.
“We’ve seized 600 boats and in recent weeks you’ve seen nine people smugglers in Lille sentenced to a total of 64 years in prison.”
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick: “We are good friends and allies with France but it doesn’t always feel like that.
“The French have the potential to stop the small boats tomorrow if they wanted to.”
Whilst Jenrick welcomed the prospect of a returns deal subject to seeing the details of what it contained he added: “The most important thing is not to rely on the kindness of strangers to secure your own borders.
“The UK needs and deserves its own sovereign deterrent, whether the Rwanda scheme or something else.” (ITV)
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