A French presidential candidate has sharply criticized the United Kingdom's immigration policies, describing them as "shocking" and a catalyst for tragedies in the English Channel. Edouard Philippe, a center-right hopeful for the 2027 presidential election, stated that Britain's "incoherent" approach attracts migrants and suggested that the UK should bear the entire cost of policing the French coastline.
Philippe, who previously served as Prime Minister under Emmanuel Macron, indicated that if elected, he would reconsider the 2003 Le Touquet Agreement. This treaty allows British border officials to conduct checks on French soil. He argued that French police are working to prevent individuals with no right to be in France from leaving, only for those migrants to have a high chance of gaining legal status in the UK. Furthermore, he claimed that illegal work is prevalent in Britain due to a lack of control mechanisms.
His remarks align with sentiments previously expressed by President Macron, who last year urged the UK to address "pull factors" that draw migrants, including the ease of finding employment illegally. At the time, then-Labour home secretary Yvette Cooper acknowledged that it had been "too easy to work illegally for far too long." Other French politicians have also characterized Britain as an "El Dorado" for undocumented workers.
Philippe made these statements following meetings with police and mayors in Zuydcoote, a region known as a hub for illegal Channel crossings. He is currently polling at 15 percent and aims to consolidate the centrist vote in the upcoming election, where he trails far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and hard-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon in current polls.