English Channel Small Boats Incident Debate

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Department: Home Office

English Channel Small Boats Incident

Robert Jenrick Excerpts
Thursday 25th November 2021

(2 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Priti Patel Portrait Priti Patel
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That is exactly what the Nationality and Borders Bill does.

Robert Jenrick Portrait Robert Jenrick (Newark) (Con)
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I support my right hon. Friend’s pursuit of all long-term options—including offshore processing, which I think will play an important part—but does she accept that in the short term we will see more such tragedies unless we can agree a strategy with the French? It is in the gift of the President of France to bring this to an end now. That will require more action by the French, but it must be in our mutual interests, because the more people cross the channel, the more people will come to France.

Priti Patel Portrait Priti Patel
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My hon. right Friend is absolutely right, hence the discussions that took place between the Prime Minister and President Macron last night. We have been assiduous and forthright in making these points to our counterparts in France over the past two years. Members have heard about the offers that we presented to President Macron, the Interior Minister and the whole machinery of the French Government. We urge them to take up those offers. They may not be perfect, but that is not the point. We need to deploy every single tool that we have to save lives and to prevent the loss of life, and that is effectively what this is now about.