France Was About to Close Border Had UK Not Toughened Coronavirus Measures

The French President warned UK Primer on Friday that he would shut the border if the UK government did not undertake any steps to toughen restrictive measure for curing the coronavirus.

The President Emmanuel Macron said: “We had prepared the closure of our border and told Prime Minister Johnson we would implement it that day if there was no evolution [of British measures],”

However, his office in UK denied any suggestion that the stricter rules undertaken last Friday afternoon were triggered because of another country’s warnings.

Whereas the French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on the same evening regarding the travel ban to work, that all EU members should adopt methods which are “coherent”.

“Italy, France, Spain, perhaps other countries will do the same soon, chose confinement, it goes without saying that if states, namely neighboring countries like the United Kingdom continue for much longer without such measures, then it’ll be difficult for us to allow entry to British citizens,” Philippe said.

On the 17 March The EU Commission and Council had agreed to seal off the external borders of the Schengen and EU territory, in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus. France was among the first countries to start implementing the measure after President Macron warned French citizens on the criticality of the situation in a televised address to the nation.

Despite the EU members closing their borders, the UK, as yet a member state, refused to do so alongside Ireland.

President Macron has been the person who has voiced most the concern of unilaterally reintroduced border controls within the Schengen Area, warning the EU leaders that such measures may bring the agreement to an end.

In the 25 years since the first borders of the Schengen members were abolished, the borderless area has never been closer to its suspension.

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