Latest news with #BrunoRetailleau
Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Times
UK and France discuss ‘one-in, one-out' migrant returns
Britain and France are preparing to announce a one-in, one-out migrant returns deal in an attempt to break the model of the smuggling gangs. Sir Keir Starmer and President Macron are working on an arrangement that would allow Britain to send back illegal migrants who cross the Channel in small boats to France. In return Britain would accept migrants with a legitimate case for joining family already in the UK. The plans for the pilot could be announced as soon as next week to coincide with the first anniversary of Starmer's premiership, although other government sources suggested that later in the summer was more likely. A government source said: 'It'll start as a pilot but it's to prove the point that if you pay for your passage on a boat then you could quite quickly find yourself back in France.' Despite only being a pilot, it would mark a significant moment in relations with the French over the small boats crisis as it is the first time that France has shown its willingness to take back migrants from the UK. Talks over a returns deal have been led by Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, who has been credited with strengthening relations with France through her close partnership with Bruno Retailleau, the French interior minister. Under the deal, a joint UK-France processing system would be set up that would identify migrants who have a valid claim for family reunification in Britain. For each migrant relocated to Britain, an illegal migrant would be returned to locations across France, away from its northern coast. Any migrant who makes a return journey to the UK would be immediately identified through their biometric details and sent back once again. The deal will begin through a small pilot scheme designed to show 'proof of concept'. Government sources said that they were determined not to repeat the 'mistakes' of the previous government's Rwanda scheme, that they believe overpromised in terms of solving the small boats crisis. They pointed to other progress that they hope will combine to start reducing the numbers of migrants arriving on small boats amid a record high of 18,518 this year, which is 42 per cent higher than this time last year. French police are due to start implementing a law that will allow them to intercept migrant boats up to 300 metres into the sea within days in another move that UK ministers hope will reduce the numbers crossing. However, the Conservatives branded the limited plans for a one-in, one-out deal 'pathetic' and said that the French could not be trusted given the £480 million, three-year deal that Britain paid to France to bolster security, which has only led to increasing numbers making the crossing. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: 'We pay the French half a billion pounds to wave the boats off from Calais, and in return we get a migrant merry-go-round where the same number still come here. 'The French are failing to stop the boats at sea, failing to return them like the Belgians do, and now instead of demanding real enforcement, Labour are trying a one in, one out gimmick. 'If Labour were serious, they would not have scrapped the returns deterrent the National Crime Agency said we needed — instead, they've surrendered our immigration system.' Macron is making a state visit to the UK between July 8-10 along with his wife, Brigitte. The couple will be hosted by the King and Queen at Windsor Castle. The French president will also meet Starmer for talks about sealing the two country's security partnership and work on combating the people smuggling gangs that facilitate Channel crossings. Downing Street refused to comment on the specifics of the deal but said that 'our relationship with the French is stronger than it has been in a number of years'. The final details of a migrants return deal have yet to be agreed and government sources said they were wary of announcing a deal before it is ready to be implemented because of the risk it would lead to a rush in crossings. Smuggling gangs have in the past offered 'closing down sale' deals to migrants whereby they advertised discounted prices if they signed up before a particular new scheme is introduced. Retailleau first opened the door to a migrant exchange deal for the first time in April during a visit to the UK. He said: 'I do think that there must be an agreement that we can come to, a bilateral agreement between governments. 'Because we see many of those who land on British soil don't come back. Even when one has crossed the Channel, if one is sent back that will send a clear message.' The French interior ministry confirmed later in the month that it would work on the basis of a 'one-for-one principle'.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
We cannot trust the French to solve our migration woes
A new deal with France over illegal migration is to be announced when Emmanuel Macron makes his state visit next month. Still being negotiated with Bruno Retailleau, the French interior minister, this may offer some relief to the beleaguered communities directly impacted by the record numbers now landing daily on the south coast. The detail matters, of course, but the bottom line is that for every migrant who crosses the Channel, Britain would be entitled to return another: 'one in, one out'. This would certainly be an improvement on the status quo. Most people are heartily sick of watching French border forces and navy turn a blind eye to the mass exodus from their shores to ours. So far this year, more than 18,000 illegals have arrived here by boat, despite the British paying the French up to half a million pounds a day to stop them. We are now asked to believe that this scandalous state of affairs is about to change overnight. Yet as one of its first acts, Labour cancelled the Rwanda scheme. For all its faults, that plan offered both a speedy remedy and a powerful deterrent to unlawful migration. The deal now being negotiated with France, by contrast, promises no such thing. What is to stop illegal migrants who are returned to France from trying again? The odds on success will still be high. Compared to the strong likelihood of being sent to Rwanda, many will fancy their chances under this deal. However cordial the new entente may be, the security of our borders will be at the mercy of whoever is in charge in Paris. History suggests that this might not be the most reliable basis for British immigration policy.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
France could take back Channel migrants under new deal
Sir Keir Starmer is in talks with France to return Channel migrants in a 'one in, one out' deal. Ministers are understood to hope that they can announce an agreement in principle when Emmanuel Macron, the French president, makes his state visit to the UK next month for the Anglo-French summit. Under the scheme, Britain would send back Channel migrants to France within weeks of their arrival in return for the UK taking asylum seekers from France. Home Office sources indicated that a returns scheme was a 'work in progress'. France has resisted such moves since the Dublin returns agreement was scrapped under Brexit and argued that any new agreement would have to be EU-wide. However, France opened the door to taking back Channel migrants for the first time after Bruno Retailleau, the French interior minister, said that it would 'send a clear message' to others planning to make the journey. France has also agreed to start intercepting migrant 'taxi boats' at sea for the first time after previously refusing to do so for fear of breaching maritime safety laws. The policy change driven through by Mr Retailleau is expected to be confirmed at the summit, which is taking place from July 8-10. The moves come after small boat crossings hit record levels with more than 18,000 migrants having reached the UK so far this year, up 43 per cent on the same point last year and the highest number since the first arrivals in 2018. The French have been open to a pilot, one-for-one scheme, which, if successful, could be extended EU-wide. The EU has previously rejected returns agreements that are only bilateral between two countries. A deal would be limited to the UK taking asylum seekers in France with family connections in Britain in exchange for a corresponding number of Channel migrants being returned to France. No 10 has, however, also been studying more ambitious returns schemes. Senior figures from the European Stability Initiative (ESI) have been invited to Downing Street twice in the past eight months to present their ideas. In their presentations, ESI proposed almost every Channel migrant would be returned to France within three to four weeks with very occasional exceptions for people with the strongest family connections to the UK. In return, the UK would agree to take in a capped number of asylum seekers from the EU of, for example, 20,000 a year under a time-limited scheme. They argued that without a near-100 per cent return rate, there would be no deterrent to crossings, predicting that as soon as it became clear there was no prospect of success, the incentive for migrants to make the dangerous, expensive journeys would evaporate. The ESI team argued that their scheme could be extended to a wider group of countries than just France. It also offered them a model for striking their own 'returns' deals with countries that were the source of illegal migrants. The EU has already backed the creation of return 'hubs' - temporary detention centres in non-EU countries where deported migrants would wait before being sent back. Sir Keir confirmed last month that the UK was also in talks with a 'number of countries' about return hubs for failed asylum seekers, which he described as a 'really important innovation'. Home Office sources said it was uncertain whether a deal would be formally announced at the Anglo-French summit. However, they will face pressure not to limit the number of migrants they can send back to France. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, warned that the scheme would fail unless all illegal migrants were denied asylum in the UK and removed from Britain. 'We pay the French half a billion pounds to wave the boats off from Calais, and in return we get a merry-go-round where the same number still come here,' he said. 'The French are failing to stop the boats at sea, failing to return them like the Belgians do, and now instead of demanding real enforcement, Labour are trying a 'one in, one out' gimmick. 'If Labour were serious, they would not have scrapped the returns deterrent the National Crime Agency said we needed – instead, they've surrendered our immigration system. Pathetic.'
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Iran used drug traffickers to stoke trouble in France, says minister
FILE PHOTO: French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau speaks during an end-of-campaign rally for the presidency of the Les Republicains (LR) party in Boulogne-Billancourt near Paris, France, May 11, 2025. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/File Photo Iran used drug traffickers to stoke trouble in France, says minister PARIS - France has evidence that Iran has used intermediaries in the past to hire drug traffickers to carry out activities in France on its behalf and could do so again, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on Sunday. France is on heightened alert following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities overnight. "Iran uses proxies that are often linked to drug traffickers. They get a contract and don't even know that the contract is linked to the Iranian regime," Retailleau told LCI television. "But that's the modality used by Iran on (our)national territory." Retailleau did not say what activities had been carried out in France and gave no specific evidence. Iran's embassy was not immediately available for comment. "It's very simple. These are contracts through intermediaries that don't link back to the regime," Retailleau said. Highlighting the heightened security threat, Retailleau also referred to a foiled plot in July 2018 to blow up an opposition rally near Paris where several Iranians were arrested after a joint Franco-German-Belgian operation. The plot was led by Vienna-based Iranian diplomat Assadolah Assadi and three others, according to court documents. Assadi, who French officials said was running an Iranian state intelligence network and was acting on orders from Tehran, was sentenced in Belgium to a 20-year prison term in 2021. He was exchanged in May 2023 for four Europeans held in Iran. Iran has repeatedly denied carrying out destabilising activities in Europe. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Reuters
6 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Iran used drug traffickers to stoke trouble in France, says minister
PARIS, June 22 (Reuters) - France has evidence that Iran has used intermediaries in the past to hire drug traffickers to carry out activities in France on its behalf and could do so again, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on Sunday. France is on heightened alert following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities overnight. "Iran uses proxies that are often linked to drug traffickers. They get a contract and don't even know that the contract is linked to the Iranian regime," Retailleau told LCI television. "But that's the modality used by Iran on (our)national territory." Retailleau did not say what activities had been carried out in France and gave no specific evidence. Iran's embassy was not immediately available for comment. "It's very simple. These are contracts through intermediaries that don't link back to the regime," Retailleau said. Highlighting the heightened security threat, Retailleau also referred to a foiled plot in July 2018 to blow up an opposition rally near Paris where several Iranians were arrested after a joint Franco-German-Belgian operation. The plot was led by Vienna-based Iranian diplomat Assadolah Assadi and three others, according to court documents. Assadi, who French officials said was running an Iranian state intelligence network and was acting on orders from Tehran, was sentenced in Belgium to a 20-year prison term in 2021. He was exchanged in May 2023 for four Europeans held in Iran. Iran has repeatedly denied carrying out destabilising activities in Europe.
