politics
French Parliamentary Report Criticizes UK Border Deals and France's Migration Policy
A parliamentary inquiry published Wednesday criticized France's migration policy along the northern coast. Communist MP Elsa Faucillon, the rapporteur, said 40 years of security-focused deals with the United Kingdom have failed to reduce crossings.
Jul 8, 11:41 AM·1m read1 source
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A parliamentary inquiry into the French-British border was published on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. Le Monde reported that the report, prepared by Communist MP Elsa Faucillon as rapporteur, described France's security-first approach to migration as ineffective, dangerous, and lacking democratic oversight.
The inquiry concluded that nothing can be salvaged from the French government's migration policy of the past 40 years.
It cited a dire situation for exiles, inefficiency in handling flows on the northern coast, and an absence of parliamentary scrutiny over bilateral deals. Since the 2003 Touquet Treaty, the United Kingdom has paid France to increase its responsibilities for stopping border crossings, the report stated.
Le Monde reported that the inquiry described this arrangement as leaving France in a position of subcontracting, reduced to requesting funds without achieving a deterrent effect.
The report noted that the various agreements with the United Kingdom have not stopped the ongoing flow of migrants. Since February 12, 1986, 34 agreements have been signed between the two countries on border control, yet the Assemblée Nationale last voted on one 23 years ago, according to Faucillon.
Le Monde reported that Faucillon called the outcome a display of the state's powerlessness in managing the border.
