Priti Patel, 49, will reportedly tour European capitals to discuss the increasingly worrying migrant crisis by holding a meeting with G7 member states. After being left out of an emergency meeting, which took place on Sunday between interior ministers in Calais, the home secretary is set to use Britain’s G7 presidency position to hold the talks.
According to The Times, Home Office sources have described Ms Patel as a “headless chicken…on a plane to whoever will speak to her” as she embarks in her endeavours to arrange meetings.
Ms Patel was due to meet interior ministers from France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium following the tragic deaths of 27 people last week as they tried to make the perilous journey across the Channel.
The 49-year-old home secretary was sidelined from previous talks after Boris Johnson, 57, publicly shared a letter he had written to the French President, Emmanuel Macron, 43, on how to deal with the issue.
The row between the French and UK leaders was bashed by labour who accused them of “engaging in a blame game while children drown”.
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On Sunday, Ms Patel took to Twitter: “I will be holding urgent talks with my European counterparts this week to prevent further tragedies in the Channel.
“More international co-operation and passing our Borders Bill quickly into law will stop the people smugglers and save lives.”
Ms Patel wrote in the Sun on Sunday: “There should now be an even greater onus on all of us on both sides of the Channel to act.
“We have a long history of working constructively with our friends across the Channel on shared challenges.”
The Home Secretary added that she was “sorry” not to have been at the meeting in Calais.
