French PM Manuel Valls replaced by minister who wants UK to take MORE migrants
MANUEL Valls, the French Prime Minister, will be replaced by Bernard Cazeneuve, the French interior minister who has been at the heart of a bitter row with the UK over the Calais Jungle migrants.
Manuel Valls announces he is running for president of France
President Francois Hollande's office made the announcement on Tuesday
A source in the president's entourage said: "He's a strong personality, with experience of state affairs."
Valls is stepping down in order to seek the Socialist Party's nomination to be its presidential candidate in the 2017 election.
He will be seeking the Socialist nomination for the vote, hoping to pit himself against conservative candidate Francois Hillon and Marine Le Pen, leader of the right-wing Front National.
Bernard Cazeneuve wants the UK to take more migrants from France
Manuel Valls PM has been replaced by Bernard Cazeneuve
President Hollande announced last week he would not be seeking re-election, amid rumours of al fall-out with Valls.
The President said: "I have appointed Mr Cazeneuve as Prime Minister and charged him with forming a new government."
French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve wrote a column in the Guardian newspaper telling the UK to face up to its responsibilities and speed up taking in isolated child migrants with family in the UK.
Cazeneuve demanded the UK to step up and take more migrants as the Calais camp was dismantled
The British government must now intensify its efforts to identity and resettle child migrants
He also defended checks made in France when many of the migrant children arrived appearing to be adults.
He said: “The French government has decided to demolish the ‘Jungle’ tent camp in Calais. UK and French officials agree that the camp must be torn down because its residents – men, women, and children who, for the most part, have the right to seek asylum – cannot be left out in the cold, surrounded by mud, any longer.
“The British government must now intensify its efforts to identity and resettle child migrants.”
Mr Cazeneuve defended France against the UK earlier in the year after public outcry when so-called child migrants were brought to London.
Bernard Cazeneuve blasted Britain over its intake of migrants
Initial checks on the ‘children’ were carried out by French officials before a list was recommended to the British Government.
The new PM admitted “many adult migrants had tried to pass off as isolated minors in a bid to get to the UK”.
However, he later defended his officials claiming the French had “done their utmost” to ensure that all migrants being sent to the UK were all under 18.
More follows...