Reform UK says its deal with France's far-right National Rally to return migrants across the channel was fully approved by the party and signed off by its president, Jordan Bardella, as the agreement faces a furious backlash in France.
Key facts
- Reform UK says its migrant return deal with France's National Rally was ratified by party president Jordan Bardella.
- The agreement between Nigel Farage and Bardella was unveiled on Friday.
- Critics in France say the deal goes against the country's 'interests and sovereignty'.
- The deal appears to contradict Marine Le Pen's long-held policy of refusing to accept returns of migrants arriving in the UK by small boat.
- Bardella, 30, is described as the protege of presidential candidate Marine Le Pen.
Reform UK has insisted that its deal with France’s far-right National Rally to return migrants back across the channel was fully approved by the party and signed off by its president, Jordan Bardella, according to the Guardian. The claim comes amid a furious backlash in France over the agreement.
The agreement was unveiled on Friday between Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Bardella, the 30-year-old described by the Guardian as the protege of presidential candidate Marine Le Pen.
According to the Guardian, the deal appeared to directly contradict Le Pen’s long-held policy of refusing to accept the return of migrants who arrive in the UK in small boats from France, raising questions about the position of the National Rally on the issue.
Critics have pushed back against the arrangement, with some saying it goes against France’s ‘interests and sovereignty’, the Guardian reported. The backlash has centred on the implications of a French party agreeing to accept returns of migrants from the UK.
Reform UK’s insistence that Bardella personally ratified the deal appears aimed at countering suggestions that the agreement was not fully endorsed by the National Rally’s leadership. The party has framed the deal as having been approved at the top level.
The controversy highlights the tension between the two parties’ stated positions, with the reported contradiction of Le Pen’s policy fuelling debate in France over how migrants arriving in the UK by small boat should be handled.
Why it matters
Channel crossings by small boats have been one of the most contentious political issues in both the UK and France. A cross-border agreement between two prominent right-wing parties, and the dispute over whether it was genuinely endorsed, could shape debate ahead of major elections and affect relations between the parties.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Reform UK and National Rally deal involve?
According to the Guardian, the agreement between Nigel Farage and Jordan Bardella concerns returning migrants back across the channel to France.
Who is Jordan Bardella?
The Guardian describes Bardella as the 30-year-old president of France's National Rally and the protege of presidential candidate Marine Le Pen.
Why is the deal facing backlash in France?
Critics say the deal goes against France's 'interests and sovereignty', and it appears to contradict Marine Le Pen's long-held policy of refusing to accept the return of migrants who arrive in the UK in small boats, the Guardian reported.