May agrees to extra US$61.5 mIn for Calais

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Ahead of a key summit on Thursday, Britain said it would pay an extra 61.5 million US dollars to boost security around Calais following a demand for more money from President Emmanuel Macron.

"This is about investing in and enhancing the security of the UK border,” a government spokeswoman said.

The funding will go towards fencing, CCTV and detection technology in the northern French port city, as well as at other points along the Channel from which migrants regularly attempt to reach British shores by ferry or train.

The money would be on top of more than 138.2 million US dollars already paid by Britain following a border deal between the two countries that has now been renegotiated and is due to be signed on Thursday.

A migrant walks among tents in a makeshift camp as containers (rear) are put into place to house several hundred migrants living in what is known as the "Jungle", a squalid sprawling camp in Calais, northern France, Jan. 11, 2016. /Reuters Photo

British and French leaders also aim to increase cooperation in tackling terrorism at the meeting, as Britain tries to strengthen ties before leaving the European Union next year.

Macron, who is on his first official trip across the Channel, will meet May at an army base near the British capital.

In a piece of diplomatic theater, Macron is expected to confirm that France will agree in principle to loan London the Bayeux Tapestry, the famed 941-year-old embroidery that recounts the Norman conquest of Britain in 1066.

“Today’s summit will underline that we remain committed to defending our people and upholding our values as liberal democracies in the face of any threat, whether at home or abroad,” May said in a statement ahead of the talks.

“Our friendship has always gone far beyond defense and security and the scope of today’s discussions represents its broad and unique nature,” she added.

[Cover photo: Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron talk during a bilateral meeting at the G7 Summit in Taormina, Sicily, Italy, May 26, 2017. /Reuters Photo]

Source(s): AFP