Nigel Farage has hit again at Emmanuel Macron after the French president mentioned Brexit was accountable for the small boats disaster within the Channel.
The Reform UK chief and main proponent of Brexit mentioned Mr Macron – who’s wrapping up his thee-day state go to to the UK – was “going back to Paris laughing” after he signed a cope with Sir Keir Starmer for a “one in, one out” migrants return deal.
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Talking to reporters from Westminster, Mr Farage mentioned the UK “behaved today like a member of the European Union – on technology, on defence, and on this so-called migrant deal”.
“Macron should be going again to Paris laughing, saying principally the Brits have rejoined the European Union.
“The European Union have a stupid policy that I warned in 2015 would lead to millions coming. It has. Why should we pay for their problem? We voted in a referendum to leave their problem.”
He argued that the UK’s departure from the European Union meant there was no manner for individuals to be returned to mainland Europe after individuals crossed the Channel.
He was referring to the Dublin regulation, which the UK was signatory to when it was a member of the EU, however is not.
“Many people in your country explained that Brexit would make it possible to fight more effectively against illegal immigration,” Mr Macron mentioned.
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27:19
UK-France migrant deal introduced
“But it’s in fact since Brexit [that] the UK has no migratory agreement with the EU.
“It creates an incentive to make the crossing, the exact reverse of what Brexit had promised.”
He added that the British people were “bought a lie… which is that the issue was Europe, however the issue has change into Brexit”.
Mr Farage – whose party is currently leading in the polls – said Mr Macron spoke with “vanity” about the UK and Brexit.
“The rationale we have now the issue is not due to Brexit; the issue with unlawful immigration was occurring once we had been members of the European Union,” he mentioned.
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2:43
Will deal cease small boats?
“The problem is neither Conservative nor Labour governments had the guts to deal with it.”
The scheme introduced right now will permit small boat migrants to be despatched again to France as a part of a trial.
In return, Britain would settle for the identical variety of asylum seekers – who attempt to come to the UK by a protected route – as those that are returned to France.
The prime minister mentioned the association would start as a “pilot”, with studies suggesting that simply 50 individuals per week will likely be despatched to France again throughout the Channel.
Mr Farage mentioned he didn’t suppose “this so-called deal will make any difference at all” – citing the European Conference on Human Rights, which the UK is a signatory to.
“If we even try to deport people across the Channel we will run straight into the European Convention on Human Rights as written into British law, in the human rights act,” he mentioned.
“The lawyers will have a field day and will find lots of reasons why people can’t be deported.”
