Escalating crisis France: British Home Secretary is no longer welcome

The French government announced on Friday that the British Home Secretary is "no longer welcome" at a meeting hosted by France on the issue of migrants, and the dispute escalated between the two countries after a boat sank near the French city of Calais, which was bound for Britain with 50 irregular migrants on board.

French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said Friday that Interior Minister Gerald Darmannan told his British counterpart Priti Patel that she was "no longer welcome" at a meeting hosted by France on Sunday on the issue of irregular migrants.

This comes after a letter sent by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to French President Emmanuel Macron, in which he criticized Paris's handling of issues of irregular immigration and human smuggling.

"This letter lacks formality and its content is inappropriate," Atal told BFM television about Johnson's letter.

Commenting on the French move, British Transport Minister Grant Shapps said that his country hopes that France will reconsider canceling the invitation of the Minister of the Interior to attend a meeting scheduled for the weekend to discuss the issue of irregular migrants.

"No country can handle this alone, so I hope the French will reconsider the matter," Shapps told BBC News.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Thursday that he had sent French President Emmanuel Macron a message containing a 5-step plan to combat irregular immigration across the English Channel.

This comes against the backdrop of the sinking of a boat, on Wednesday, near the French city of Calais on the French Channel coast, carrying about 50 irregular migrants, seeking to reach Britain, killing 27, including 5 women and a child.