Johnson, Macron agree to step up efforts to prevent migrants' crossings

UK PM Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to prevent deadly crossings of the English Channel by migrants following the Wednesday fatal shipwreck in the Strait of Dover

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to prevent deadly crossings of the English Channel by migrants following the Wednesday fatal shipwreck in the Strait of Dover, the Office of the UK Prime Minister said.

A boat with migrants sank in the Strait of Dover near the French shore on Wednesday, leaving at least 31 people dead.

"The Prime Minister (Boris Johnson) spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron this evening following the distressing loss of life in the Channel. They agreed on the urgency of stepping up joint efforts to prevent these deadly crossings and to do everything possible to stop the gangs responsible for putting people's lives at risk," 10 Downing Street said in a statement on Wednesday.

The leaders stressed the need to cooperate with Belgium and the Netherlands as well as other EU countries to effectively tackle the problem.

"Both leaders were clear that today's tragic loss of life was a stark reminder that it is vital to keep all options on the table to stop these lethal crossings and break the business model of the criminal gangs behind them," the statement added.