UK, France hard-right leaders agree to cooperate on migrant crossings

British hard-right leader Nigel Farage and France’s Jordan Bardella signed Friday a “memorandum of understanding” at Reform’s annual conference to end small boat migrant crossings if their anti-immigration parties were to enter government.

“We today are going to begin a genuine new Entente Cordiale between our parties and our countries,” Farage said, addressing his party’s meeting in the English city of Birmingham alongside Bardella, president of France’s far-right National Rally (RN) party.

Reform UK led national polls in the UK for over a year until July but the party’s standing has slumped in recent weeks amid multiple scandals involving allegations of irregular political funding.

Bardella is hoping to become France’s prime minister if his party wins in national elections next year.

Britain’s next general election is not due until 2029.

Addressing the Birmingham conference in English, Bardella hailed the shared “culture and civilisation” between the countries, vowing to end irregular migrant crossings through the Channel.

“In recent years, Emmanuel Macron has failed to protect our country,” Bardella said.

“Our government will do everything in its power to ensure that France is no longer the getaway for illegal migration into the United Kingdom,” Bardella said to applause.

Farage and Bardella signed their agreement on stage.

Britain’s Labour government said this week that the UK had recorded the lowest numbers of boats carrying migrants and asylum seekers across the Channel from France to England this summer since 2019.

It touted the success of an enforcement deal with France.

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