What will become of the French border post-Brexit? The Touquet Accord signed in 2003 moved the UK border to France, meaning British officials can check passports and deny entry. The mayor of Calais, Natacha Bouchart has said that the “British must take on the consequences of their choice” referring to the referendum decision to leave the European Union. Bouchart’s assertion whilst it echoed more generally throughout the EU itself has been dismissed by a government source who stated that accords are not going to be broken. The failure post-Brexit to legitimately ask the question “who is responsible and who is to blame” (Follis, 2015) for the refugee crisis puts those trapped in even more of a political stalemate than before.
Where then does this leave France and the United Kingdom and the thousands trapped at the border? Bouchart is correct to suggest that the border should be moved back to the United Kingdom, we are no longer an empire and yet the legacies of imperialism are present every-day. In doing so, any number of things could happen immediately: the majority could be immediately deported, placed in detention or in a rare act of common sense, be granted asylum as their circumstances are given greater emphasis and due care. Whilst many things could happen, one thing is clear – a backlog would occur with growing numbers already in detention centres.
A desirable country?
