[Reuters]
Italy, Spain, Greece, Malta and Cyprus have formally opposed a draft migration agreement between France and the United Kingdom, warning it could force them to take back asylum seekers returned from Britain.
In a joint letter to the European Commission obtained by the Financial Times, the five Mediterranean nations expressed concern over France’s reported intent to sign a bilateral migrant returns deal with the UK. If this confirmed, the letter reportedly stated, such an initiative raises serious concerns.
The countries argue that any deal outside the broader EU-UK “reset” framework – agreed in May to tackle irregular migration collaboratively – could have unfair consequences, particularly for so-called first-entry states.
The exact terms of the proposed France-UK agreement remain unclear.
Disagreements within the EU and UK demands have stalled broader migration accords, leading London to seek bilateral pacts with EU capitals.
French President Emmanuel Macron is due in London on July 8.