Brexit<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\nHe added that the lack of agreement between the UK and EU had made the issue worse.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince Brexit \u2013 and I\u2019m saying all this quite honestly \u2013 I know it\u2019s not your case, Prime Minister, but many people in your country explained that Brexit would make it possible to fight more effectively against illegal immigration,\u201d Macron said.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/SEI_258577057.jpg\")
Migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, on the day the new deal was announced (Photo: Gareth Fuller\/PA Wire)<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s in fact since Brexit the UK has no migratory agreement with the EU.\u201d<\/p>\n
Macron argued it actually had created an \u201cincentive\u201d for people to make the crossing: \u201cThe precise opposite of what Brexit had promised.\u201d<\/p>\n
Macron\u2019s claims about Brexit are \u2018nonsense\u2019<\/p>\n
Responding to the President\u2019s claims, Farage \u2013 a long-time campaigner for Brexit \u2013 described Macron as \u201can arrogant French President who has subjugated Starmer\u201d.<\/p>\n
Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg \u2013 the former Tory minister for Brexit opportunities \u2013 told The i Paper that Macron\u2019s claims about Brexit making the small boats crisis worse were \u201cnonsense\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cUnder the Dublin Accord, we took in more people than we sent. Part of the problem now is that the French are cheating the British taxpayer, taking our money while being too frightened to get their feet wet.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Government source refused to comment on Macron\u2019s claims, simply saying they would leave Macron to \u201ctalk to his own comments\u201d.<\/p>\n
What will the \u2018historic\u2019 pilot scheme involve?<\/p>\n
Under the pilot scheme announced on Thursday, people arriving on a small boat will be detained in the UK and returned to France. They will also lose their right to apply for asylum in future. <\/p>\n
In exchange, the British government will offer a safe route for asylum seekers in France \u2013 who have not attempted to cross the Channel \u2013 to come to the UK.<\/p>\n
This will operate on a one in, one out system and will be scaled up after the initial launch of the pilot, the government said. <\/p>\n
The scheme will work alongside ongoing efforts to prevent boats from leaving French shores. <\/p>\n
The Government said further operational details about how the returns will be handled, and any additional cost, will be set out in due course.<\/p>\n
But the UK has not agreed any new funding to be sent to France as part of this agreement. <\/p>\n
![\"LONDON,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/SEI_258569564.jpg\")
Macron and Starmer during the press conference (Photo: Leon Neal\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
No numerical target has been set for the number of people who will be exchanged, and they have not said there will be a specific limit, but it is understood the initial pilot will start with around 50 migrants per week being returned. <\/p>\n
This is a small fraction of the numbers crossing, which have reached 21,117 so far this year. <\/p>\n
Indeed as talks between the leaders took place in London, migrants continued making the perilous journey across the English Channel \u2013 with pictures showing people wearing life jackets arriving in Dover, Kent.<\/p>\n
Border Force vessels were sent as part of the response to multiple boats on Thursday morning. <\/p>\n
The PM argued that the purpose of the scheme is to provide a deterrent to dissuade people from trying to make the journey. <\/p>\n
\u2018No silver bullet\u2019 to tackle Channel crossings, Macron warns<\/p>\n
Setting out the plan at the conclusion of Macron\u2019s three-day state visit to the UK, he said: \u201cThere is no silver bullet here, but with a united effort, new tactics and a new level of intent, we can finally turn the tables.\u201d<\/p>\n
Under the \u201cgroundbreaking\u201d pilot scheme, \u201cfor the very first time, migrants arriving via small boat will be detained and returned to France in short order\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn exchange for every return, a different individual will be allowed to come here via a safe route, controlled and legal, subject to strict security checks and only open to those who have not tried to enter the UK illegally.\u201d<\/p>\n
The scheme, which will begin within weeks, \u201cwill show others trying to make the same journey that it will be in vain\u201d, he added.<\/p>\n
He explained the UK would take someone in exchange for a returned small boat migrant because \u201cit is right that we offer a haven to those in most dire need\u201d.<\/p>\n
Farage, who spent the day on a boat in the English Channel watching migrants making the crossing, said: \u201cThis agreement is a humiliation for Brexit Britain.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have acted today as an EU member and bowed down to an arrogant French President.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: \u201cLabour\u2019s deal will only return one in every 17 illegal immigrants arriving.<\/p>\n
\u201cAllowing 94 per cent of illegal immigrants to stay will make no difference whatsoever and have no deterrent effect.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As talks between the leaders took place in London, migrants continued making the perilous journey across the Channel…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":255088,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5226],"tags":[802,748,2000,299,5187,1699,36,4884,5805,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-255087","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brexit","8":"tag-brexit","9":"tag-britain","10":"tag-eu","11":"tag-europe","12":"tag-european","13":"tag-european-union","14":"tag-france","15":"tag-great-britain","16":"tag-migrants","17":"tag-uk","18":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114832339371468177","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255087","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=255087"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255087\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/255088"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=255087"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=255087"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=255087"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}