Farage unveils small boats deal with French National Rally party

Nigel Farage has agreed a deal with France’s hard-right National Rally (RN) party on returning migrants who attempt to cross the English Channel in small boats, should both parties win power.

It comes after Reform UK last month announced a plan to intercept boats and return migrants to French ports using the Royal Navy.

The proposed agreement with RN states that France would “ordinarily accept” those on board, and then repatriate them to their home country.

It was signed at Reform’s annual conference in Birmingham by RN President Jordan Bardella, whose party is currently leading in opinion polls ahead of presidential elections in April next year.

In a speech in the main conference hall, ahead of the deal being unveiled, Bardella told delegates that an RN government would “do everything in its power to ensure that France is no longer the gateway for illegal migration into the United Kingdom”.

Hailing Farage as the UK’s next prime minister, Bardella pledged to work with a potential future Reform government to tackle illegal migration.

The “memorandum of understanding” unveiled at the conference is a political document, but could be developed into a legal agreement between two future governments, if both parties win power.

It states: “The United Kingdom will intercept boats which have launched from French shores and entered British territorial waters and will return the persons on board to France.

“France will ordinarily accept these persons, who will be repatriated to their home country in accordance with the law in force in France concerning expulsion.”

Under the proposals, illegal migrants who successfully arrive in the UK from France would be immediately detained and deported to their home country, rather than to France, under plans previously outlined by Reform.

Challenged during a news conference over whether the wording “ordinarily” meant some migrants would not be accepted by France, Farage said it was “legalese”.

He argued the proposals would mean there was “no incentive” to pay a trafficker to cross the Channel, and “in very, very short order the business model is broken”.

Farage said the “historic document” would “stop the boats forever”.

Achieving this goal within the first 100 days of a Reform government is one of the party’s key pledges.

Last month Emmanuel Macron’s government hit out at Reform’s proposals to use the Navy to return migrant boats to France, saying the they would violate the country’s sovereignty and breach international law.

Opposition parties also branded the plan unworkable.

Labour has pointed to increased cooperation with France as contributing to the number of small boat crossings falling.

This includes extra officers being deployed to French beaches, and more funding to help prevent crossings.

Last year Sir Keir Starmer’s government also signed a “one in, one out deal”, which allows the UK to send some small boat-arrivals back to France, while agreeing to take the same number of people from France believed to have a legitimate claim to come to the UK.

Joining Bardella on the stage after his speech, Farage said the deal marked a “new Entente Cordiale” between France and the UK, in reference to a series of agreements in 1904 that paved the way for greater diplomatic cooperation.

Unveiling the memorandum, the pair signed a large mock-up of the document to cheers from the audience of Reform members, with one shouting “Vive la France!”.

Farage has been forging closer ties with Bardella and his party since meeting the politician in London last December.

Previously tipped as a potential candidate for the 2027 presidential election, Le Pen has said she wants to make Bardella prime minister if RN wins power.

It comes after party leader Le Pen announced in July she would run for the presidency following a Paris appeal court ruling which upheld her conviction for misusing EU funds but shortened her sentence, clearing the path for her to stand.

Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.