France to offer Johnson EU deal on migrants

France's Prime Minister Jean Castex is preparing to write to British counterpart Boris Johnson with proposals for a new post-Brexit deal on migration with the EU after the disaster in the Channel last week that left 27 migrants dead, a minister said Monday.

Castex will write to Johnson on Tuesday, less than a week after a letter penned by the British premier to President Emmanuel Macron and immediately posted on Twitter angered France, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said.

Darmanin told reporters that France was prepared to resume discussions with the UK on the issue -- after pointedly disinviting Home Secretary Priti Patel from a meeting of European ministers at the weekend -- but only once the "double talk" stopped in London.

He called for a "balanced" accord that would offer "real solutions" for dealing with highly organised trafficking networks often spread across France, Belgium, Germany and other countries. Darmanin insisted it could not be with France alone but all of the EU.

"We do not want a unilateral agreement," he said after a meeting chaired by President Emmanuel Macron.

"An agreement would set the framework for cooperation between Britain and bordering countries on immigration issues that were not negotiated at the time of Brexit," he said.

"Mr Prime Minister Jean Castex will write tomorrow to the British prime minister to outline the French demands in more detail and in full and our point of view," he said, adding that the letter would be received by the British side on Tuesday afternoon.

"We can then start -- if the British want -- an open discussion and we can meet this week," Darmanin said.