Robert Jenrick accuses Macron of desirous to ‘punish’ UK over Brexit | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Robert Jenrick has launched an astonishing broadside in opposition to France, claiming the nation “can’t be trusted” to cease small boats heading to the UK.

The former immigration minister, who’s within the closing two of the Tory management contest, additionally accused French President Emmanuel Macron of “not caring” about Channel crossings, and alleged he’s unwilling to repair the issue as a “punishment” for Brexit.

Jenrick made the feedback on The Sun’s Never Mind the Ballots politics podcast, after it was reported by the paper and The Telegraph that he had recommended a one-for-one cope with France through which the UK would take considered one of their profitable asylum seekers in return for France accepting again a migrant who had illegally entered Britain by way of the Channel.

The proposal was revealed in a leaked letter Jenrick wrote for then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to current to Macron at a summit between the 2 nations in Paris in March 2023.

Macron is alleged to have rejected the “one-in, one out” proposal regardless of the supply of an “ex gratia” fee – in different phrases, as a favour fairly than due to any authorized requirement – for every unlawful migrant despatched again to France. Macron does not seem to have commented publically on why he wasn’t in favour of the transfer.

Confronted concerning the controversial Home Office notice on the present, Jenrick insisted the proposal was a “short time-limited intervention” to de-incentivise migrants making the perilous journey.

He mentioned: “What was shameful about that incident was that, as I understand it, Rishi Sunak put it to President Macron, and he rejected it.

“He would not even give it a listening to, as a result of he did not need to repair this drawback, most likely as a punishment for Brexit,” Jenrick added.

The Tory leadership hopeful claimed the French “don’t care” about helping to address the issue, saying: “The French might cease this tomorrow… however what I discovered is you can’t depend on the French.”

The UK has an agreement with France in which Britain is paying £500million over three years to fund more patrol officers in Calais and a new detention centre.

But despite the investment, illegal migration remains high, with a total of 26,612 migrants in 503 boats crossing the English Channel so far this year.

The figure is almost 700 more than at the same point last year, though its significantly less than in 2022 – a record year.

“Jenrick claims that he was radicalised within the Home Office,” the insider told The Sun.

“But this exhibits that a number of months earlier than he flounced out of presidency, he was proposing to swap migrants with France, which might have achieved nothing to cut back general numbers, and casting doubt on the Rwanda scheme, which might have offered an efficient deterrent.

“Rob’s late conversion to hardline immigration policies isn’t fooling anyone,” they added.

But former Border Force chief Tony Smith praised the leaked swap prospoal, saying: “I’ve said from the start that the best way to stop the boats altogether would be to do a deal with the French on returns, and Jenrick was right to attempt it.

“The reality is the French would by no means agree as they are saying that any deal should go to the EU, who won’t ever conform to it. But if we might ship migrants again to France, we might save lives and lower the smuggling enterprise mannequin at a stroke.

“Without this and with the Rwanda deterrent gone, I fear the boats will keep coming, and more people will drown.”

Over the summer time Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Macron pledged pledged to strengthen “cooperation” in dealing with the surge in undocumented migrants.