Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2020 to Question 41962 on Migrant Camps: France, what work the UK-France Migration Committee is conducting under the terms of the Sandhurst Treaty; and whether the (a) protection needs of individuals in the area and (b) improvement of reception conditions form part of discussions with the French authorities on the identification and relocation of vulnerable migrants in northern France.

The UK-FR Migration Committee is responsible for overseeing cooperation between the two countries on addressing illegal migration, including oversight and implementation of the Sandhurst Treaty. The Committee currently meets remotely due to current travel restrictions, and works to address current pressures at our shared border and to agree new action where necessary.

Articles 2-4 of the Sandhurst Treaty outline our joint commitment to (i) continued implementation of the Dublin process (ii) facilitating the transfer of unaccompanied minors under national relocation schemes, and (iii) improving access to French domestic asylum procedures; these topics therefore form part of the ongoing dialogue between the UK and France.

As noted in the previous response, the identification and relocation of vulnerable migrants on French territory remains the domestic responsibility of the French government, who continue to work to transfer those residing in camps into reception centres.