Adding another major source of irritation in Paris: the Treaty of Le Touquet, for almost 20 years now, has moved the border controls to the country of departure. For travelers from the UK to France, French police and customs officers operate in St Pancras station or in the port of Dover, before you board the Eurostar or a ferry. Same thing in the other direction with UK immigration and customs officers in the Paris Gare du Nord, in the port of Calais etc...

Trouble is that more undocumented migrants are trying to cross the Channel and the burden of controlling them is on the French authorities. The Murdoch press has been barking for years about the feckless French not doing enough to police "our [the UK's] border". There has been several agreements between the two governments to increase the controls, but more migrants are crossing the Dover strait on small inflatable boats.

The UK did agree to contribute about €62 million to finance the French policing, but Priti Patel decided they wouldn't pay up, because - you guessed it - the French side "is not doing enough".

The constant bitching, bad faith and going back on one's word is also taking a toll there: French Interior minister Gerald Darmanin has called for renegotiating the treaty. Many voices in France are now calling to stop policing the UK borders for them and let the UK "take back control" of their own borders, as the slogan goes.