"The relationship between France and the United Kingdom can no longer be reduced to sub-contracting out to France" security on the Channel border, said right-wing Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau.
He added that "there is a showdown to be had" on border security between the two countries in the wake of Brexit - and threatened to cancel the 2004 Le Touquet agreement that establishes passport controls on French soil for people travelling to the UK, and vice versa.
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Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau is set to meet with his British counterpart on December 9 as tensions rise between the two countries over migration and border security.
At least 72 people have died trying to reach Britain from northern France across the Channel this year, making 2024 the deadliest year since migrant crossings began in earnest in 2018.
"The relationship between France and the United Kingdom can no longer be reduced to sub-contracting out to France" security on the Channel border, said Retailleau.
Retailleau called for a more comprehensive deal between Britain and the European Union, saying France was calling for a "global agreement" outlining all parties' responsibilities.
"The border between France and the United Kingdom is Europe's common external border," he said, adding it was "no longer possible" for France to "bear the entire burden" of defending it.
The minister expressed similar sentiments in an interview with French weekly La Voix du Nord on Friday.
"France cannot tackle this issue alone," he said, adding: "The UK must play its full part, as must our European partners."
"There is no buying our silence with British pounds," he added.
The interior minister said he blamed Brexit for "destroying immigration cooperation" between France and the United Kingdom.
If "there is a showdown to be had" on border security, France is ready, he said.
"I hope it won't come to that, but we have to change this relationship."
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