Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 17 January 2018
Macron visits Calais to preview toughened migrant policies

Calais today. down,” Macron said later
Macron is meeting Thurs- at Calais City Hall.
day with British Prime Min- In a surprise announce-
ister Theresa May in Sand- ment, Macron said the
hurst near London, and on state was taking over food
the agenda is a 2003 bor- distribution to migrants, an
der control agreement that apparent bid to undermine
he wants to change. aid groups who have for
The 2003 Touquet Accords years provided meals.
effectively moved the Brit- The president issued a stern
ish border to the French warning to the aid groups
port of Calais, where British against discouraging mi-
agents help. The accord grants from going to cen-
has spared Britain from re- ters where they can ap-
ceiving floods of migrants ply for French asylum — a
at its doorstep like other move that would end their
European countries, put- bid to go to Britain.
ting the burden of block- “I no longer want us to del-
ing their entry to the U.K. on egate food aid to asso-
France. ciations that use it to keep
During his speech to se- alive false information,” he
curity forces, the French said during a discussion
president mentioned three with local officials.
French President Emmanuel Macron speaks with soldiers during his visit to Calais, northern France,
Tuesday, Jan.16, 2018. Macron traveled Tuesday to the epicenter of France’s migrant crisis, the points he plans to raise At least three aid groups,
northern port of Calais, to lay out a “humane and tough” immigration policy that involved better with May, including “bet- including Doctors of the
behavior by security forces and closer cooperation with Britain. ter management of unac- World, were boycotting a
(Denis Charlet/Pool via AP) companied minors, rein- meeting with Macron at
By ELAINE GANLEY posted in Calais, includ- migrants caught trying to forced police cooperation the end of his daylong vis-
SYLVIE CORBET ing riot police, border po- enter Britain illegally from in Calais with the countries it, saying he left no room
Associated Press lice and gendarmes, to France. of origin and transit” and for real discussions on criti-
CALAIS, France (AP) — keep migrants out of the “Calais is not a back door getting British funds for de- cal issues. “(The situation)
President Emmanuel Ma- port and Eurotunnel and to to Britain,” Macron said, velopment projects in Cal- is catastrophic” because
cron traveled Tuesday to stop them from setting up referring to the hundreds ais. migrants have no rights to
Calais, the epicenter of camps. of people who attempt to Macron suggested while pitch tents now, said Fran-
France’s migrant crisis, to Macron laid out the broad reach Britain by sneaking meeting with represen- cois Guennoc of the aid
lay out a new approach to lines of his immigration pol- onto trucks crossing the tatives from Calais’ eco- group Auberge des Mi-
immigration: help for those icy — humanity with a firm English Channel. nomic sector later Tuesday grants, which also declined
who want to stay, expul- hand — in a speech before Macron declared that stay- that the British are ready to meet with Macron.
sion for those using France security forces, some of ing in Calais instead of ap- to provide more financing. Macron also told security
as a transit point and sanc- whom have been criticized plying for asylum in France He said France’s priority in forces in Calais they will
tions for security forces who for overzealous actions is “a dead end” and vowed ongoing talks with the U.K. be sanctioned if they fail
overstep the rules. against migrants. The presi- not to allow any migrant government is for Britain to to honor their rules of con-
The northern port city is a dent’s trip was a preview of camp take root here again accept more of the unac- duct. He listed some of the
magnet for migrants be- a tough new immigration after authorities dismantled companied minors who claims: that police confis-
cause it is the closest point and asylum bill to be pre- Europe’s biggest migrant make it to France. cate sleeping bags and
between France and Brit- sented to the Cabinet in slum in 2016. Calais, a former French even shoes from migrants,
ain and has two cross- February. At that time, there were tourist destination, has suf- awaken them in the night,
Channel transport systems, Macron said the bill would more than 7,000 migrants in fered because of the influx use tear gas on their be-
the Eurotunnel and ferries. include a provision launch- the sprawling, filthy camp of migrants. “I think we can longings and food.
More than 1,130 French ing “automatic” expul- on the edge of Calais, improve the situation with- “There are no half-truths,”
security forces have been sion proceedings against compared to up to 700 in out knocking everything the president said.q

Cyprus, Greece and Jordan aim to bolster region’s security

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS aimed to jointly bolster se- European Union member
Associated Press curity in the eastern Medi- countries to lend more as-
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) terranean. sistance to Jordan. The
— The leaders of Cy- Abdullah said his country is three leaders also weighed
prus, Greece and Jordan working with others to close in on the Mideast peace
pledged a new partnership off all routes for extremists efforts, urging the resump-
Tuesday with tighter co- and that there can be no tion of talks between Is-
operation on fighting ter- let-up despite successes in raelis and Palestinians and
rorism, and rallied interna- Iraq and Syria. voicing support for a two-
tional support for countries The three leaders also state solution. Abdullah
hosting hundreds of thou- urged the international said a peace deal should
sands of refugees fleeing community to offer more make east Jerusalem the
the war in Syria. support to Jordan and capital of an independent
Cyprus President Nicos An- other countries which have Cyprus’ President Nicos Anastasiades, left, shakes hands with Palestinian state. He also al-
astasiades said that three- borne the brunt of a mass Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras as arrives for a meeting at luded to US government’s
way talks with Jordan’s influx of Syrian refugees. the Presidential palace in capital Nicosia, Cyprus, on Tuesday. decision to relocate its em-
King Abdullah II and Greek Anastasiades and Tsipras Jan. 16, 2018. Cyprus hosts the leaders of Greece and Jordan in bassy in Israel from Tel Aviv
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said they would ask fellow a three-way meeting aimed at strengthening ties in the volatile to Jerusalem.q
region.
(AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)