EMMANUEL Macron said Brexit must be punished and weaponised the small boats crisis, Boris Johnson has claimed.

The former PM has accused the French president of being a “positive nuisance” during negotiations to leave the European Union.

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But he said he got his revenge by persuading Australia not to buy submarines from the French.

In his book, Unleashed, Mr Johnson said: “Although Macron was personally charming, and although we often agreed on important issues, he really meant it when he said that Brexit Britain must be punished.

“On some issues I am afraid I therefore suspected him of being a positive nuisance.

“Take the ‘small boats’ that cross the Channel to Britain from the beaches of France, risking the lives of tens of thousands of migrants.

“It seemed at least possible to me that he was weaponising the problem, Belarus-style, and discreetly allowing the migrants to come across in sufficient numbers to drive the British public nuts and undermine one of the most important facts of Brexit – that we had taken back control of our borders.”

Mr Johnson said that he and Macron “personally got on” but that “he would not hesitate to put his Cuban-heeled bootee into Brexit Britain.”

Sir Keir Starmer is set to visit Brussels this week in the hopes of finally securing a deal with the EU over the Channel migrant crisis.

Around 24,000 migrants have crossed the Channel since the start of 2024, it was announced earlier this month.