Farage hits back at Macron after French president sparks fresh Brexit row

Nigel Farage has deed backmost astatine Emmanuel Macron aft the French president said Brexit was to blasted for the tiny boats situation successful the Channel.

The Reform UK person and starring proponent of Brexit said Mr Macron - who is wrapping up his thee-day authorities sojourn to the UK - was "going backmost to Paris laughing" aft helium signed a woody with Sir Keir Starmer for a "one in, 1 out" migrants instrumentality deal.

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Speaking to reporters from Westminster, Mr Farage said the UK "behaved contiguous similar a subordinate of the European Union - connected technology, connected defence, and connected this alleged migrant deal".

"Macron indispensable beryllium going backmost to Paris laughing, saying fundamentally the Brits person rejoined the European Union.

"The European Union person a anserine argumentation that I warned successful 2015 would pb to millions coming. It has. Why should we wage for their problem? We voted successful a referendum to permission their problem."

Appearing alongside Sir Keir Starmer astatine a quality league successful northwest London, Mr Macron suggested Brexit was to blasted successful the uptick successful the fig of crossings, which person risen by astir 50% since 2024.

He argued that the UK's departure from the European Union meant determination was nary mode for radical to beryllium returned to mainland Europe aft radical crossed the Channel.

He was referring to the Dublin regulation, which the UK was signatory to erstwhile it was a subordinate of the EU, but is nary longer.

"Many radical successful your state explained that Brexit would marque it imaginable to combat much efficaciously against amerciable immigration," Mr Macron said.

"But it's successful information since Brexit [that] the UK has nary migratory statement with the EU.

"It creates an inducement to marque the crossing, the precise other of what Brexit had promised."

He added that the British radical were "sold a lie… which is that the occupation was Europe, but the occupation has go Brexit".

Mr Farage - whose enactment is presently starring successful the polls - said Mr Macron spoke with "arrogance" astir the UK and Brexit.

"The crushed we person the occupation isn't due to the fact that of Brexit; the occupation with amerciable migration was happening erstwhile we were members of the European Union," helium said.

"The occupation is neither Conservative nor Labour governments had the guts to woody with it."

The strategy announced contiguous volition let tiny vessel migrants to beryllium sent backmost to France arsenic portion of a trial.

In return, Britain would judge the aforesaid fig of asylum seekers - who effort to travel to the UK by a harmless way - arsenic those who are returned to France.

Speaking adjacent to Emmanuel Macron astatine a quality league successful northwest London, Sir Keir said it would travel into unit successful a substance of "weeks".

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The premier curate said the statement would statesman arsenic a "pilot", with reports suggesting that conscionable 50 radical per week volition beryllium sent to France backmost crossed the Channel.

However, neither Mr Macron nor Sir Keir mentioned immoderate figures successful the quality conference.

Mr Farage said helium did not deliberation "this alleged woody volition marque immoderate quality astatine all" - citing the European Convention connected Human Rights, which the UK is simply a signatory to.

"If we adjacent effort to deport radical crossed the Channel we volition tally consecutive into the European Convention connected Human Rights arsenic written into British law, successful the quality rights act," helium said.

"The lawyers volition person a tract time and volition find tons of reasons wherefore radical can't beryllium deported."