National Rally leader outlines hardline migration agenda, pledging UK pushback rights, border closures, and sweeping policy changes if elected President.
Jordan Bardella, the rising leader of France’s National Rally party and widely viewed as the favorite to succeed President Emmanuel Macron, is pledging a dramatic overhaul of France’s migration policies, including allowing the United Kingdom to push small migrant boats back into French territorial waters.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Bardella outlined an agenda that would mark one of the most significant shifts in French border and asylum enforcement in decades. His comments come as Europe faces renewed political pressure over irregular migration and as governments struggle to manage rising Channel crossings.
Bardella said he would authorize the UK Border Force to conduct “pushbacks” in the English Channel—an approach London has explored but has been unable to use because France has not permitted it. French authorities have reportedly used similar tactics in some overseas territories, where migrant boats have collided with police vessels, leading to deaths and disappearances.
The 29-year-old party chief also voiced support for joint Franco-British patrols, although he argued that tougher French immigration rules would make such operations largely unnecessary over time.
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Bardella’s proposed changes include moving asylum processing outside France to embassies and consulates abroad; expelling foreign nationals convicted of crimes; and prioritizing French citizens for social housing and public assistance. His stated goal is to make France “the least attractive country for mass immigration in Europe” and fully seal the Calais border, a long-running departure point for migrants attempting the dangerous Channel crossing.
He also criticized UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s migration deal with France—often described as a “one-in, one-out” arrangement—as political “smoke screening.” Bardella claimed that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage could win the next general election in Britain, suggesting the two men should prepare for the possibility of leading neighboring countries simultaneously.
His comments arrive amid broader European debates over how to apply human rights protections while addressing irregular migration. Starmer and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen recently urged European leaders to modernize the legal interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), warning that failing to update the system could fuel political extremism.
The UK government is expected to introduce legislation targeting Article 8 of the ECHR, which covers the right to family life, and may also review the threshold for Article 3 protections related to inhumane treatment.
Bardella’s proposals signal a hardening stance in France’s political landscape, setting the stage for a contentious presidential race centered heavily on migration, security, and Franco-British cooperation.