French presidential frontrunner 'will allow UK to push back migrant boats' and backs Farage for PM

 

French presidential frontrunner 'will allow UK to push back migrant boats' and backs Farage for PM

 

Jordan Bardella criticised the current "one-in-one-out" deal and tipped Nigel Farage to become the UK's next Prime Minister

 

By Alex Storey

https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/french-presidential-stop-boats-immigration-badella-5HjdPBQ_2/

 

The politician tipped to become the next president of France says he will allow Britain to "push back" small boats carrying migrants across the English Channel.

 

Jordan Bardella said he will propose to rewrite French border policy in order to help the crisis of migrants attempting to cross the waters if he is elected.

 

The 30-year-old, who is leader of the National Rally party, has backed joint Franco-British patrols and pledged to allow UK Border Force to carry out the "pushbacks."

 

Successive British governments have explored this strategy but have been unable to deploy it because France has refused to accept returned vessels.

 

He also described Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron's "one-in-one-out" policy as a "smokescreen."

 

He also declared that Nigel Farage "will be the next prime minister" after a meeting with the Reform UK leader at a private lunch in London on Tuesday.

 

 

Mr Bardella told The Telegraph: "NGOs funded by public money go and pick up boats 20 kilometres off the Tunisian or Libyan coast and then Frontex [the European border and coast guard agency] takes them.

 

"I'm against this, so I have to be consistent with my principles. I can't defend the notion of pushbacks and then refuse to allow Great Britain to do the same.

 

Pushbacks have been criticised by maratime lawyers and human rights group in the past but Mr Bardella inisited the issue would fade once he introduced a "double border system" on French and EU frontiers, designed to stop migrants before they reach the Channel.

 

He added that he supported existing "Franco-British patrols" but said these would be less necessary once he had overhauled French and European migration rules.

 

Mr Bardella is the runaway favourite to reach the second round of the 2027 presidential elections and iis predicted to take about 35 to 37 per cent of the vote, well ahead of his nearest rival.

 

Earlier this year, Sir Keir signed the "one-in-one-out" agreement with Mr Macron, under which Britain returns illegal arrivals in exchange for accepting a matching number of legitimate asylum seekers.

 

But Mr Bardella called the plan "a sticking plaster,' and added: "I think it's a smokescreen and that the ship is leaking from all sides and we’re putting tape over the holes."