The mayor of Calais has called for the border deal between the U.K. and France to be revised, following Thursday’s Brexit vote.
“The British must live with the consequences of their choice,” Natacha Bouchart said Friday on French television, adding: “We are in a strong position to push, to press this request for a review and we are asking the president to bring his weight [to the issue].”
Her comments echoed remarks on Friday by Xavier Bertrand, the president of the Hauts-de-France region, who tweeted: “The English wanted to take back their freedom, they must take back their border.”
Je lance un appel à @fhollande et je demande la dénonciation des Accords du #Touquet. #Brexit #Calais 1/2
— Xavier Bertrand (@xavierbertrand) June 24, 2016
Les anglais ont voulu reprendre leur liberté, ils doivent reprendre leur frontière. #Brexit #Calais 2/2
— Xavier Bertrand (@xavierbertrand) June 24, 2016
A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron admitted in February that the decision to leave the EU would “call into question” the 2003 Le Touquet agreement, which allows the U.K. to conduct passport checks at the French border.
French Finance Minister Emmanuel Macron said at the time that, “The day [the UK-EU] relationship unravels, migrants will no longer be in Calais.”