Britain needs French cooperation to tackle Channel migrant crisis, says health minister

FILE PHOTO: Inflatable boats, believed to have been used by migrants that crossed the English Channel from France, are stored in a secure facility near Dover, Britain, November 26, 2021. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain needs French cooperation to curb the flow of migrants from across the English Channel, health minister Sajid Javid said on Sunday, defending a letter Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote to the French president.

Last week, Johnson wrote to French President Emmanuel Macron setting out five steps the two countries could take to deter migrants from making the perilous journey after 27 people died trying to cross the Channel.