Emmanuel Macron promised to work with Keir Starmer’s UK government “to address the major challenges of our time” such as security and migration as the French president started a three-day state visit to Britain on Tuesday.
Mr Macron and his wife Brigitte arrived on Tuesday afternoon at RAF Northolt, west London. They went straight to Windsor Castle in Berkshire, 24km from London, for a ceremonial welcome with King Charles.
Later, Mr Macron addressed peers and MPs in the royal gallery of the House of Lords in Westminster in advance of an evening state banquet at Windsor, where earlier they held a carriage ride through the town.
The visit will also include a British-French political summit. Near the top of the agenda from the British side will be the issue of asylum seekers arriving on UK shores in small boats that cross the English Channel from France.
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Migrant crossings have risen sharply this year and Mr Starmer, the British prime minister, is under political pressure to clamp down on arrivals, and covets closer co-operation with France to address the issue.
Speaking to parliament, Mr Macron promised to deliver on measures to cut the number of migrants crossing the Channel.
He said the issue of irregular migration was a “burden” to both countries.
The UK has pushed for tougher action from the French authorities on the beaches along the Channel coast and it hopes to strike a “one in, one out” deal to send small-boat migrants back to the Continent.
In exchange, the UK would accept asylum seekers in Europe who have a British link.
“In this unstable world, hope for a better life elsewhere is legitimate,” Mr Macron said.
“But we cannot allow our countries’ rules for taking in people to be flouted and criminal networks to cynically exploit the hopes of so many individuals with so little respect for human life.
“France and the UK have a shared responsibility to address irregular migration with humanity, solidarity and fairness.”
Mr Macron’s state visit comes a week after the total number of people crossing the Channel in small boats this year passed 20,000.
The total now stands at more than 21,000, a record for this point in the year.
The UK and France have been prominent supporters of Ukraine following its invasion by Russia, and Mr Macron said the countries “faced with revisionist neighbours” have a “special responsibility for the security of the continent”.
Tensions between Europe and the United States over trade also featured in Mr Macron’s address.
He said European countries had to break away from economic dependence on the US and on China.
“We want an open world. We want to co-operate, but not to depend,” he said.
Additional reporting by PA
