Johnson not behaving ‘seriously’, complains Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron has blasted Boris Johnson’s open letter published yesterday as not a “serious” way of approaching the ongoing Channel crisis.

“I’m surprised when things are not done seriously, we don’t communicate between leaders via tweets or published letters, we are not whistle-blowers,” he argued this morning during a joint conference with Italian prime minister Mario Draghi.

The letter urged France to do more to stop illegal Channel crossings, and reiterated the British government’s offer to kickstart joint patrols in French waters in order to prevent the crossing of small boats.

The letter also proposed a “readmissions” agreement between the UK and France, which would allow the UK to deport people who illegally cross the Channel to France.

In a statement, the French interior ministry said: “We consider Boris Johnson’s public letter unacceptable and in opposition with discussions between counterparts.