Britain | Cross-channel relations

A tentative reset of Britain’s relationship with France

Le bromance, or le wishful thinking?

SHARM EL SHEIKH, EGYPT - NOVEMBER 07: President of France Emmanuel Macron (L) and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ahead of a bilateral meeting during the UNFCCC COP 27 climate conference on November 7, 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The conference is bringing together political leaders and representatives from 190 countries to discuss climate-related topics including climate change adaptation, climate finance, decarbonisation, agriculture and biodiversity. The conference is running from November 6-18. (Photo by Stefan Rousseau - Pool/Getty Images)

Nov 17th 2022|PARIS

Billed as “historic”, the deal signed in Paris by the British home secretary, Suella Braverman, and her French counterpart, Gérald Darmanin, had the main virtue of taking place. Meeting on November 14th, the pair agreed to work together to curb “small boat” crossings from the beaches of northern France to the British coast. So far this year 40,000 migrants have taken this perilous route, preferred by traffickers after security was tightened on ferry and tunnel crossings. Britain will pay France £63m (€72m) a year, or 15% more than currently, to have more French police patrolling the coast. France will allow British police to monitor such operations.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Le bromance?”