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  • French President Emmanuel Macron laughs during his visit to a migrant center in Croisilles, northern France, Tuesday, Jan.16, 2018. Macron is making a foray into the symbolic heart of France's migrant problem with a visit to the port city of Calais, where hundreds of people hide out while trying to make an end run to Britain. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler, Pool)

  • French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with Ahmed Adam, left, from Sudan during his visit to a migrant center in Croisilles, northern France, Tuesday, Jan.16, 2018. Macron is making a foray into the symbolic heart of France's migrant problem with a visit to the port city of Calais, where hundreds of people hide out while trying to make an end run to Britain. Behind is translator Elyas Ali, from Chad and at right is French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler, Pool)

  • French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands to residents before visiting a migrant center in Croisilles, northern France, Tuesday, Jan.16, 2018. Macron is making a foray into the symbolic heart of France's migrant problem with a visit to the port city of Calais, where hundreds of people hide out while trying to make an end run to Britain. At center is translator Elyas Ali, from Chad. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler, Pool)

  • French President Emmanuel Macron talks while migrant Attayet Ali, left, Croisilles mayor Gerard Due, second left, and volunteer Christian Desailly listen during Macron's visit to a migrant center in Croisilles, northern France, Tuesday, Jan.16, 2018. Macron is making a foray into the symbolic heart of France's migrant problem with a visit to the port city of Calais, where hundreds of people hide out while trying to make an end run to Britain. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler, Pool)

  • French President Emmanuel Macron talks to Ahmed Adam, left, from Sudan during his visit to a migrant center in Croisilles, northern France, Tuesday, Jan.16, 2018. Macron is making a foray into the symbolic heart of France's migrant problem with a visit to the port city of Calais, where hundreds of people hide out while trying to make an end run to Britain. At center is translator Elyas Ali, from Chad. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler, Pool)

  • FILE - In this Oct. 26, 2016 file photo a migrant reacts as smoke billows from burning shelters set on fire in the makeshift migrant camp known as "the jungle" near Calais, northern France. French officials say Monday Jan. 15 2018 France wants to sign a new deal with the U.K. that would involve greater British financing of the costs of handling migrants camped in the northern French port city of Calais. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

Tuesday, January 16, 2018 9:15 am

The Latest: France's Macron wants more UK money for Calais

The Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — The Latest on the French president's visit to Calais (all times local):

2 p.m.

French President Emmanuel Macron says he wants to negotiate with Britain a better police cooperation to handle the migrants in the French port of Calais and more money from the U.K. to help develop the city.

Macron is visiting Calais, where hundreds of migrants are hiding out while trying to sneak across Britain.

In a speech to security forces in Calais Tuesday, Macron also said he wants Britain to take in more unaccompanied minors.

Macron is to meet British Prime Minister Theresa May in Sandhurst, west of London, on Thursday.

He insisted France is doing "everything" to prevent migrants from illegally entering in Britain. "Calais is not a back door to England," he said.

The northern city is the closest point between France and Britain, with two cross-Channel transport systems, the Eurotunnel and ferries.

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10:50 a.m.

French President Emmanuel Macron is visiting a migrant center in northern France as he prepares to press Britain to do more to help deal with migrants who converge on the Calais region in hopes of crossing the Channel.

Macron talked briefly Tuesday with Sudanese migrants at the center in Croisilles, home to 63 people. He questioned officials about measures to speed up processing for migrants who agree to apply for asylum in France.

He also asked about migrants who abandon such centers to try to sneak across the Channel instead. The head of the association managing three centers in the Pas-de-Calais region, Guillaume Alexandre, said nearly 70 percent of migrants there leave before filing any paperwork in France.

Macron goes later Tuesday to Calais, and meets Thursday with British Prime Minister Theresa May to discuss accords that effectively put the British border in Calais.

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9:20 a.m.

President Emmanuel Macron is visiting the port city of Calais, where hundreds of migrants hide out while trying to make an end run to Britain.

The northern city, laced with high fences and a wall, is the closest point between France and Britain, with two cross-Channel transport systems, the Eurotunnel and ferries that are a magnet for migrants.

Macron is visiting a migrant center before meeting security forces in Calais on Tuesday.

Macron wants changes to the 2003 Touquet Accords that effectively moved the British border to Calais and have left France with the problem of dealing with migrants refused entry into Britain. He is meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May in London on Thursday.

    
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