French politician demands Brits hand over MORE cash to tackle migrants as he brands UK a ‘permanent attraction’

A FRENCH politician in charge of the area around Calais has demanded British taxpayers cough up even more cash to send across the Channel. Xavier Bertrand, regional president of Hauts-de-France, branded the UK a “permanent attraction for migrants”. Xavier Bertrand branded the UK a ‘permanent attraction for migrants’ and blamed Britain for the migrant camps and smugglers on the French coast Credit: Shutterstock Editorial The demand for more cash comes after Britain agreed to give France £662million to help prevent crossings Credit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers Ltd He demanded the 2003 Le Touquet deal — which allows UK Border Force officers to work in France, and vice-versa — be “paid in its full price”. Mr Bertrand compared the French coast to Ceuta, where 72,000 migrants stormed the border last month, and blamed Britain for camps and smugglers by the sea. Sign up for the Politics newsletter Thank you! In a French newspaper, he said France should be given the power to suspend the agreement if Britain fails to deliver on deportations and smashing smuggling gangs. It comes months after Britain agreed to give France £662million. The UK has spent or pledged more than £1billion since 2023 but French cops only stop a third of crossings. Mr Bertrand has previously said the British state was to blame for the crisis for “failing to enforce its own regulations”. He said in May: “The solution lies in forcing the hand of the English, who are responsible for the situation. “Migrants, exploited by smugglers and criminals, do not want to settle in Hauts-de-France. Their goal is to reach England. Most read in The Sun “Because in England, when you are a migrant, you can work, or rather be exploited, in numerous companies, under conditions few can imagine.” He went on: “The British state is not powerless. It simply fails to organise its controls effectively and rigorously enforce its own regulations. Mr Bertrand’s office and the Home Office were both approached for comment. More than 3,000 migrants have crossed the Channel since Andy Burnham took office on July 20.