{"id":304814,"date":"2021-09-09T12:01:39","date_gmt":"2021-09-09T12:01:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/?p=1478425"},"modified":"2021-09-09T12:01:39","modified_gmt":"2021-09-09T12:01:39","slug":"row-erupts-as-priti-patel-reportedly-wants-to-turn-away-refugee-boats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/09\/09\/row-erupts-as-priti-patel-reportedly-wants-to-turn-away-refugee-boats\/","title":{"rendered":"Row erupts as Priti Patel reportedly wants to turn away refugee boats"},"content":{"rendered":"
The French interior minister Gerald Darmanin hit back at home secretary Priti Patel on Thursday amid reports she had sanctioned tactics to turn back refugee boats towards the continent to stop them from making the journey to the UK. This has led to a war of words between Britain and France .<\/p>\n
Patel is said to have ordered officials to rewrite maritime laws and Border Force staff have reportedly taken part in special training on handling migrant boats.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nHome secretary Priti Patel met her French counterpart during the G7 interior minsiters\u2019 meeting at Lancaster House in London. (Ian West\/PA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/p>\n
A “cowardly” and “cruel” plan<\/h5>\n
The suggestion has prompted an outcry from aid charities and campaigners who branded the plan \u201ccowardly\u201d and \u201ccruel\u201d and one which could risk the lives of refugees, while the legality of the tactic has been called into question.<\/p>\n
Darmanin said France would not accept any practices which breach maritime laws and that the country would not be subjected to financial blackmail.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week government sources confirmed Patel told MPs she was prepared to withhold millions of pounds of cash promised to France to help step up patrols unless an improvement in the number of migrants intercepted by French authorities is seen.<\/p>\n
The pair met on Wednesday to discuss the migrant crossings during the three-day G7 interior minister\u2019s meeting at Lancaster House in London.<\/p>\n
Different accounts of the same meeting?<\/h5>\n
A Government source said the meeting was \u201cconstructive\u201d, adding:<\/p>\n
The home secretary was clear with the French interior minister that the British public expect to see results.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
But less than 24 hours later, according to translations of his posts on Twitter, Darmanin said:<\/p>\n
France will not accept any practice contrary to maritime laws, or financial blackmail.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
He said he had made it clear to his equivalent Patel that the arrangements with Britain must remain, adding:<\/p>\n
The friendship between our two countries deserves better than postures which harm cooperation between our services.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Prime minister Boris Johnson\u2019s official spokesman rejected the claims of \u201cfinancial blackmail\u201d and said the Government has \u201cprovided our French counterparts significant sums of money previously, and we\u2019ve agreed another bilateral agreement backed by millions of pounds\u201d.<\/p>\n
He added:<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t think any single approach is going to solve this challenge, which sees criminal gangs target some of the most vulnerable people, and we want to work with our French counterparts, and indeed, the wider EU, on a range of options to address this long-standing problem.<\/p>\n
We are content that the tactics that our Border Force staff, our trained Border Force staff, are using are safe and legal.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
![\"G7](\"https:\/\/image.assets.pressassociation.io\/v2\/image\/production\/dc874ced1ce69bc6ea8a361f0c911f75Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNjMxMjc2Nzk2\/2.62262081.jpg?w=640\")