The British government called on France - on Sunday - again to cooperate in combating migrant smuggling networks in the English Channel, in an effort to contain the anger of Paris, which excluded London from a European meeting on this issue.
Amid a diplomatic row with Paris, British Health Secretary Sajid Javid told Sky News that "we must all do everything in our power to break the economic model of these smugglers, including in close cooperation with our French friends."
Ministers responsible for migration from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France, as well as the European Commission for Home Affairs, will hold a meeting in Calais (northern France) today, Sunday, in order to strengthen the fight against "smugglers' networks", after the worst drowning of migrants in the English Channel that killed at least 27 people last Wednesday. .
Nevertheless, the meeting will be held without Britain, a country concerned with this problem.
Paris canceled London's participation in response to a message published by Prime Minister Boris Johnson - Thursday evening - on Twitter asking Paris to take back migrants who managed to enter Britain illegally.
"This is exactly what should be done," Javid said, adding that the British prime minister was "not at all wrong" when he revealed the message on Twitter.
"Our policy is very clear, these boats must stop, we cannot do this alone, we need to cooperate with the French," he added.
The Conservative government has been criticized for this dispute with Paris.
"Our two countries blame each other while children drown in our channel," opposition Labor MP Lisa Nandy denounced on Sky News, adding, "It is unacceptable."
On the other hand, tension has escalated on both sides of the English Channel since Britain's exit from the European Union, especially over fishing.
France is threatening sanctions if the fishermen do not obtain more licenses to operate in British waters.
The crisis of confidence between the two countries worsened further when Paris discovered in September that Washington, London and Canberra had secretly negotiated a strategic partnership agreement, after which France lost a huge contract to sell submarines to Australia.