Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron will hold Downing Street talks on Wednesday amid growing pressure on the prime minister to strike a deal to bring down the number of small boat crossings.
The French president arrived on Tuesday for the first state visit by an EU head of state since Brexit.
It comes as the UK has been pressing for tougher action from the French authorities on the beaches along the Channel coast.
The prime ministeris facing a fight to salvage his much-vaunted “one in, one out” deal with France to return illegal migrants and halt the increasing crossings of small boats across the English Channel.
In exchange, the deal would see the UK accept asylum seekers in Europe who have a British link.
But Mr Macron’s state visit began amid amid concerns the agreement is close to collapse.
It is understood that Sir Keir had hoped the deal would be the centrepiece of the visit, but it stalled amid opposition from other EU countries. Italy, Spain, Greece, Malta and Cyprus wrote to the European Commission over the proposals, fearing it could see asylum seekers returned to their shores instead.
Downing Street insists the deal is not dead, but admitted the picture is “complex” as Britain is on course for a new record in illegal crossings.
Meanwhile, Eysee sources told The Telegraph that Macron is demanding Sir Keir make Britain less appealing to Channel migrants in order to get the deal over the line.
But another French source pushed back against any suggestion the French president blames the UK for the crisis, saying: “The French president looks forward to working with the prime minister constructively on this shared priority.”
A Downing Street spokesperson said Sir Keir and President Macron have “an excellent working relationship”, adding that Britain’s “joint work with the French… is stronger than it’s ever been”.
Asked about the “one in, one out” agreement on Monday, the spokesperson said: “I wouldn’t comment on specific things ahead of a summit. We can expect progress on a wide range of priorities, including migration, but I’m not going to speculate on specifics ahead of a summit that is yet to take place.”
Alongside Downing Street talks, Sir Keir and Mr Macron are also expected to attend a reception with UK and French businesses and an event at the British Museum on Wednesday.
Their spouses, Brigitte Macron and Lady Victoria Starmer, will have tea and a tour of Downing Street together, followed by all four having lunch.
While they are being hosted by the King at Windsor, the Macrons will lay flowers on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II and see Fabuleu de Maucour, a horse the French president gave Elizabeth in 2022 to mark her Platinum Jubilee.
In a speech to MPs and peers on Tuesday, Mr Macron promised to deliver on measures to cut the number of migrants crossing the English Channel, describing the issue as a “burden” to both countries.
He said France and the UK have a “shared responsibility to address irregular migration with humanity, solidarity and fairness”.
Decisions at a Franco-British summit on Thursday will respond to “our aims for co-operation and tangible results on these major issues”, Mr Macron added.
The state visit comes just days after the total number of people crossing the Channel in small boats this year passed 20,000 – a record for this point in the year.
Sir Keir and the French president are also expected to co-host a meeting of the “coalition of the willing” on Thursday, the peacekeeping mission proposed to be deployed to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.
