Burnham, Macron talk border security and stronger Europe-UK ties

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron have held talks about migration, the war in Ukraine and trade during an official meeting in London.

The talks, held at Burnham’s Downing Street office on Thursday, marked the first time the prime minister has hosted a European leader since taking over the reins from former Labour Party leader Keir Starmer on July 20.

Burnham and Macron discussed shared challenges, including small boat crossings and the “emerging use of mega dinghies” transporting undocumented migrants and asylum seekers to England’s south coast, according to a United Kingdom government press release.

Downing Street said the UK saw the lowest number of small boat arrivals since 2020, but “the government will not stop bearing down on the criminal gangs facilitating the dangerous crossings”, the statement said.

In response, the UK government said France will deploy a “surge team” of 45 officers to the western beaches of France in the coming weeks, building on a deal signed in April to curb unauthorised small boat crossings in the English Channel.

“The progress we have seen this summer shows what can be achieved when the UK and France work together,” Burnham said.

The British prime minister is also seeking closer post-Brexit cooperation with Europe in a bid to boost sluggish domestic growth.

He has said Britain must be “bolder” in getting closer to the EU but has refused to scrap his predecessor’s rejection of rejoining the bloc’s single market or customs union and returning to its internal freedom of movement rules.

Complicating matters is concern that the EU’s Made in Europe agenda, which seeks to protect the steel industries of states in the 27-nation bloc, could harm Britain’s struggling steel sector.

“The Prime Minister set out how the Made in Europe agenda could pose significant challenges for UK industry,” a UK government spokesperson said.

Macron said it was a “very important moment” for relations between the two countries, adding he was “here with a willingness and a commitment to get closer and closer”.

On the subject of defence, Downing Street said the leaders discussed the next steps on establishing local assembly lines in Ukraine for the long-range missile, SCALP, which uses British technology, and reflected on the successful Coalition of the Willing meeting in Kyiv last week.