France has canceled talks with UK Home Secretary Priti Patel after Prime Minister Boris Johnson publicly called on France to take back migrants who crossed the Channel, BBC reported. In an escalation of the political crisis after the deaths of 27 people in the Channel, President Emmanuel Macron said communications between leaders should not take place over Twitter. A summit with other European states is due to take place in Calais on Sunday. But the UK home secretary is not invited. French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said Johnson's public letter was "unacceptable" and the president said later he was "surprised by the methods when they are not serious". The sinking of the inflatable boat on Wednesday marked the biggest loss of life by drowning in the English Channel on record and included 17 men, seven women — one of whom was pregnant — and three children. Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and the European Commission are all due to attend Sunday's summit in Calais. In order to avoid a repeat of the tragedy, Johnson set out five steps, including proposed joint patrols as early as next week and a "bilateral returns agreement". Within hours of Johnson's letter being published on social media, French anger was clear. "We consider the British prime minister's public letter unacceptable and counter to our discussions between partners," Darmanin said in a statement. As a result Priti Patel is no longer invited," he added. France has had enough of "the double talk", said government spokesman Gabriel Attal. The letter did not correspond at all with the phone conversation Mr Johnson had with President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday evening, he said. "It makes you wonder if Boris Johnson doesn't regret having left Europe, because as soon as he has a problem, he thinks Europe should take care of it. It doesn't work like that. You need co-operation." He cited post-Brexit arguments over fishing and Northern Ireland and said France had to be extremely firm. In his letter to Mr Macron, the UK prime minister outlined a series of measures, including joint patrols to prevent more boats from leaving French beaches and airborne surveillance. "An agreement with France to take back migrants who cross the Channel through this dangerous route would have an immediate and significant impact," Johnson said.
