Shipwreck in the Channel: an emergency meeting in the government, the oppositions give voice

"France will not let the Channel become a cemetery," said Emmanuel Macron after the deadliest tragedy that occurred off Calais on Wednesday.

At least 31 migrants died after their boat sank while trying to reach the English coast.

The President called for the immediate reinforcement of the resources of the Frontex agency (which manages the external borders of the European Union) and called for an emergency meeting of European ministers concerned by the migration challenge.

Faced with what Jean Castex described as a "tragedy", an emergency interministerial meeting will be held this Thursday morning around the Prime Minister and seven members of the government concerned by this file.

The Minister of the Interior, went to Calais this Wednesday evening.

On the spot, Gérald Darmanin assured that "those primarily responsible for this despicable situation are the smugglers" and called for a "very harsh international response".

Johnson ready to "do more with France"

While the illegal crossings of the Channel are regularly a subject of tension between France and the United Kingdom, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson assured this Wednesday evening that he wanted to "do more with France".

"We have had difficulty persuading some of our partners, in particular the French, to act up to the situation, but I understand the difficulties that all countries are facing," he said.

Two weeks ago, the situation became tense between Paris and London after the arrival of 1,185 migrants on the English coast.

Read also Shipwreck of migrants off Calais: "We are going to transform the Channel into an open-air cemetery"

The rest of the French political class ruled after this tragedy, while immigration is a preponderant subject in the debates five months before the presidential election. The president of Hauts-de-France Xavier Bertrand expressed his "deep emotion and anger" in a message on Twitter. "To put an end to these tragedies, we must further strengthen the means to break the networks of smugglers, these criminals who exploit poverty," wrote the candidate for the Congress of the Republicans.

"An abominable drama which must push us to act", meanwhile reacted Eric Ciotti, another challenger on the right.

“France and Europe do not have the means to integrate this massive irregular immigration, it must be stopped.

To say the opposite is to risk lives.

Our duty is to dissuade and to stop clearly these flows, developed the deputy LR, holding of a hard right, with the offensive on immigration.

"Show humanity at our borders"

On the set of BFMTV, Marine Le Pen hammered: “Laxity in migratory matters leads to tragedies.

The candidate of the National Rally lambasted "a culpable weakness with regard to the networks of smugglers" and did not fail to attack the migration policy of France.

"We must stop everything that brings migrants to France," she said.

On the left, the mayor of Paris and presidential candidate, Anne Hidalgo assured: “We cannot stand idly by.

It is time to show humanity at our borders.

I call on the authorities to take their responsibilities and put an end to the actions of the smugglers.

".

The candidate of France Insoumise, Jean-Luc Mélenchon for his part declared on Twitter: “Shame on who made it possible and first of all on the smugglers.

We need to have safe access to England.

France is neither a border guard nor a jailer in the service of the United Kingdom.

"