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During his election campaign the French president-elect pledged to refresh the Le Bouquet agreement, which enables British border officials to carry out migrant checks in France.



However, if the agreement is scrapped, British ferry companies will be made responsible for stopping illegal migrants from crossing the English Channel and could even be fined, the Telegraph reports.

GETTY Emmanuel Macron faces backlash from Theresa May and other MPs about border controls

Migrant crisis: Key locations before and after Tue, April 4, 2017 In these composite images, a comparison has been made between a scene at a key location during the height of the 2015 migrant crisis last year and the view there now Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 10 Aid workers help migrants up the shore after making the crossing from Turkey to the Greek island of Lesbos on November 16, 2015 in Sikaminias, Greece

It would be very risky Charles Clarke, former Labour Home Secretary

A minister requesting anonymity told the newspaper: "What they need to bear in mind is that if they didn't have the Le Touquet agreement it would be the ferry companies who would have the responsibility for doing the checks. They would get a £2,000 fine if they brought someone across."



In a bid to maintain a friendly relationship with Mr Macron while asserting a firm position on the border controls, Theresa May said: “He’s been elected, as I say, with a very strong mandate. As for Le Touquet agreement, actually it works for the benefit of both the UK and France.

“And obviously the Government elected after the 8th June will be sitting down and talking to Monsieur Macron and others about how that system we have works for the benefit of France as well as the benefit of the UK.”



Iain Duncan Smith, a former Conservative leader, said that scrapping British border controls on French soil could see a return of the notorious Sangatte refugee camp.



He said: "We forget Sangatte was a nightmare for the Labour Government until they did a deal.

"This agreement makes it possible for them to disperse the migrants. It's all bluster and puff - it [Le Touquet] suited them, and it suited us."



Charles Clarke, a former Labour Home Secretary, argued that it is unlikely to happen because scrapping border controls in France would only attract more migrants.

GETTY Ian Duncan Smith said scrapping controls woud bring the return of the Sangatte refugee camp

GETTY Emmanuel Macron dampened his strong views on the border controls during his Downing Street visit