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World / Americas

Hollande says no sense in scrapping France-Britain border policy

Published: 29 Jun 2016 - 04:39 pm | Last Updated: 04 Nov 2021 - 10:28 pm
Peninsula

French President Francois Hollande addresses a press conference after the EU Summit in Brussels, Belgium, June 29, 2016. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

BRUSSELS: President Francois Hollande said on Wednesday that a border agreement between France and Britain would not be affected by last week's Brexit vote because the so-called Le Touquet accord was a bilateral agreement "To question the Le Touquet accord because Britain is going to leave the EU has no sense," Hollande told a news briefing in Brussels at the end of  European Council summit.

The agreement signed in 2003 allows British officials to check passports in France and vice versa, effectively pushing the British frontier onto mainland France. This led to migrants trying to reach British shores congregating in Calais.

Some French politicians have called for the deal to be scrapped. Last week's referendum vote to leave the European Union has highlighted those demands. 

Reuters