Since August, a new British ambassador to France has been in post. Menna Rawlings has taken up the job at a time when the two countries have butted heads over various issues, from migration to Northern Ireland to fishing, while still bound together on other international issues – including the COP26 climate summit and as permanent members of the UN Security Council. Speaking to FRANCE 24 in a week when around 1,000 undocumented migrants crossed from France to England in small boats in a single day, she defended British border policy and spoke out about the ongoing disputes over the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Back in September, France's Europe Minister told Talking Europe that the British government's order to its border authority to "turn back" small boats in the English Channel is "probably illegal" under maritime law. Ambassador Rawlings told FRANCE 24 that "we are very clear that we are not going to do anything that is illegal under international law. Where it is safe and legal to do so, we will look to push back migrant boats back into French waters, and that is because we want to deter more people from making what is an incredibly dangerous journey."
The ambassador confirmed that the UK had started disbursing approximately €60 million of funding that it had promised to French authorities, in return for their assistance in tackling people-trafficking.
She said: "This is a humanitarian emergency, we have a moral as well as an economic imperative to try to reduce the flow. But more than anything to tackle the organised immigration crime that lies behind those movements. We are going to have to step up our efforts, clearly, given the numbers."
Meanwhile, British and European Commission officials continue to discuss the parts of the Brexit deal relating to Northern Ireland. Rawlings defended the UK's decision to seek alterations to the Protocol which Boris Johnson negotiated and signed, saying "we are pleased [the European Commission] have been open to discussions on that and that they have put some ideas on the table. We want more. Discussions continue […] In history it's not unusual for treaties to be adjusted as time goes on to reflect the emerging realities on the ground."
The ambassador also commented on relations between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French president Emmanuel Macron. These ties have become particularly strained in recent weeks, after the United Kingdom's involvement in a new defence alliance between the UK, Australia and the US and the cancellation by Australia of a submarine deal with France.
In September, the British Prime Minister told President Macron to "prenez un grip and donnez-moi un break", while the French leader stated that "Britain's credibility is on the line – not just for Europeans but for all of their partners".
Rawlings told FRANCE 24 that "there's a very open dialogue between their teams" and that "the prime minister has a very lively and colourful turn of phrase, which is one of the reasons why he is so popular in the United Kingdom. When he meets Emmanuel Macron he works on the basis of mutual respect for an incredibly close ally."
Produced by Isabelle Romero, Perrine Desplats, Georgina Robertson and Céline Schmitt
