Home · Politics · Sep 7 archive
Farage and French National Rally Unveil Deal to Intercept Migrants in Channel
Confirmed
In Short: Nigel Farage and Jordan Bardella signed a memorandum of understanding at Reform UK's annual conference, pledging to intercept and return migrants in small boats to France if both parties win power.
Nigel Farage and Jordan Bardella, leader of France's National Rally (RN), unveiled a deal at Reform UK's annual conference to intercept and return migrants in small boats to France, should both parties win power in the upcoming elections.
The agreement, described as a 'memorandum of understanding,' was signed at the conference in Birmingham and aims to stop the boats 'forever,' according to Farage.
Bardella, whose party is leading in opinion polls ahead of the French presidential elections in April, told delegates that an RN government would 'do everything in its power to ensure that France is no longer the gateway for illegal migration into the United Kingdom.
Farage, who has been forging closer ties with Bardella and his party, said the deal marked a 'new Entente Cordiale' between France and the UK, referencing historical agreements that paved the way for greater diplomatic cooperation.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- It comes after Reform UK last month announced a plan to intercept boats and return migrants to French ports using the Royal Navy.
- Challenged during a news conference over whether the wording "ordinarily" meant some migrants would not be accepted by France, Farage said it was "legalese".
- Last year Sir Keir Starmer's government also signed a "one in, one out deal", which allows the UK to send some small boat-arrivals back to France, while agreeing to take the same number of people from France believed to have a legitimate claim to come to the UK.
- It comes after party leader Le Pen announced in July she would run for the presidency following a Paris appeal court ruling which upheld her conviction for misusing EU funds but shortened her sentence, clearing the path for her to stand.
- Hailing Farage as the UK's next prime minister, Bardella pledged to work with a potential future Reform government to tackle illegal migration.
- Achieving this goal within the first 100 days of a Reform government is one of the party's key pledges.
- Farage said the most significant part was an agreement that “the United Kingdom will intercept boats which launched from French shores and entered British territorial waters and will return the persons on board to France”, something not currently agreed by the two countries.