France's Macron, UK's Starmer to discuss immigration, Ukraine on second day of state visit
During the state visit, the first by a European leader since Britain's exit from the European Union in 2020, Starmer will likely try to persuade Macron to agree to a returns deal for asylum seekers.
Such an agreement would help the British leader meet a pledge to stop the flow of tens of thousands of people into Britain from across the Channel.
Macron said on Tuesday that French and British interior ministers had worked on the issue and he hoped for tangible results this week.
France has rejected a returns deal for asylum seekers in the past, saying Britain should negotiate with the EU as a whole.
Under Starmer's plan, Britain would deport one asylum seeker to France in exchange for another with a legitimate case.
But Macron also spoke of the need to address "migration pull factors," suggesting any deal on small boats crossing the Channel would require Starmer to make it harder for migrants who do not have legal status to live and work in Britain.
The two countries have also been working to create a military force to back Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, and cooperation on trade and defence were themes in Macron's speech on Tuesday.
Macron and Starmer will also attend a meeting with business leaders. France's Engie said on Wednesday it would invest 1.2 billion euros ($1.41 billion) in energy storage in Britain, following a 1.1 billion pound deal from France's EDF in a nuclear power project in eastern England.
($1 = 0.8534 euros)
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The Sun
21 minutes ago
- The Sun
Starmer's gesture politics on Palestine and why a vote for Corbyn's new party will put Nigel Farage in Downing Street
JEREMY Corbyn's party hasn't even launched yet and it is already calling the shots with this government – starting with the recognition of Palestine. Keir Starmer is terrified Jeremy and his band of pro-Gaza MPs will hoover up the Muslim vote and cost Labour the next election. 6 6 So in a jaw-dropping speech on Tuesday, he announced the UK will recognise an independent state of Palestine unless Israel signs up to a ceasefire and long-term peace process. It was an astonishing change in position from Keir, who just days earlier dismissed the stance as gesture politics. So what changed? The grim facts on the ground in the Middle East remained the same. Hamas is still refusing to release the Israeli hostages kidnapped on October 7 and held in cold, dank tunnels buried deep underneath Gaza. They have been there for more than 660 days. Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu still shows no signs of being willing to accept a two-state solution. And innocent civilians in Gaza are paying the price for Hamas' reign of terror. Appalling images of starving children desperately queuing for food have haunted our TV screens and newspaper pages. The only thing that has changed is the news Corbyn is launching a new party to challenge Labour. No10 denies Keir is tearing up 75 years of foreign policy because he is running scared of Jezza. Moved by appalling images of emaciated children, he is launching a last-ditch bid to get Netanyahu to re-engage with the peace process, they say. But recognising the state of Palestine will not put food into the belly of a single hungry child in Gaza. It will not release a single hostage snatched by Hamas as they slept in their beds or danced at a music festival. And it will not bring the Middle East a single step closer to peace. It is the very essence of gesture politics Keir Starmer claims to despise. Biggest danger There is no doubt the new Corbyn party poses a massive challenge for Keir. 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The Sun
21 minutes ago
- The Sun
Signs for a migrant hotel should not have been covered up & Govt must be open about crisis
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The Sun
21 minutes ago
- The Sun
Four-star migrant hotel hides Hilton signs after asylum seekers arrive in apparent bid to hide use from protesters
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