British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron announced a “one in, one out” migrant deal during a summit in London on Thursday. The leaders also announced that a peacekeeping force for Ukraine was ready for deployment, following any ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
The migration control deal is part of Starmer’s recent crackdown on immigration under which Britain will deport the undocumented people arriving in small boats from France, in return for accepting an equal number of legitimate asylum seekers with British family connections. At a joint press conference, both the leaders announced the agreement to curb illegal asylum seekers from France.
"I'm pleased to announce our agreement today on a groundbreaking returns pilot. For the very first time, migrants arriving in small boats will be detained and returned to France in short order," Starmer said, standing alongside Macron.
"This will show others trying to make the same journey that it will be in vain." The British government is looking at about 50 returns per week, reported Reuters.
During the French president’s three-day visit, Paris and London also agreed to coordinate on a strategy on their nuclear deterrents for the first time. Both countries are the only two nuclear powers in Europe and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.
Macron asserted that the two countries’ nuclear policies would remain “independent” and that the deterrent’s “strategic ambiguity”.
They also agreed that Paris would serve as the new headquarters of the "coalition of the willing", shifting to London after the first 12 months. The group of nations would form a post-ceasefire force to regenerate land forces, secure Ukraine's skies and support safer seas, Reuters reported.
Starmer had earlier held a call Keith Kellogg, U.S. President Donald Trump's Ukraine envoy stated that “Supporting Ukraine is not just the right thing to do, it's essential for delivering security at home."
