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British Interior Minister Patel: "The EU has no border protection at all"
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Jon Super / AP
British Home Secretary Priti Patel has criticized the EU for its open borders because of the increasing number of migrants arriving in the UK via the English Channel.
The "real problem of illegal migration is that the EU has no border protection at all, but open borders in the Schengen area," said Patel, according to the PA news agency, to reporters on a trip to Washington.
The Conservative government sees those arriving across the Channel as a problem.
This year, more than 24,000 people made the dangerous journey behind them, almost three times as many as in 2020. Compared to other European countries, however, Great Britain traditionally takes in significantly fewer refugees.
One of the central promises of Brexit was to further limit immigration.
Interior Minister Patel repeatedly brings up possibilities that, according to experts, violate international law.
Some organizations are even planning lawsuits.
The opposition criticized the government for not having the situation under control.
The relationship between the government in London and the EU has recently been strained.
The Brexit negotiations about a solution to the Northern Ireland question are on the brink.
In addition, France and Great Britain have an ongoing dispute over fishing licenses.
sol / dpa