Nigel Farage demands £800m refund as Macron rips off UK taxpayers

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage wants Britain to demand a refund from France because Emmanuel Macron's nation has failed to halt small boat crossings. He said it is "ridiculous" that French naval vessels escort migrant boats into British waters and claimed the UK had handed £800million to France.

His intervention comes as Sir Keir Starmer and the French President discuss a deal which could see 50 migrants a week sent back. Mr Farage - whose party has been buoyed with the defection from the Conservatives of former Tory chairman Sir Jake Berry - was interviewed while on a boat in the Channel.

He told GB News: "I was mackerel fishing earlier, so it seems that increasingly the fish that swim within our 12 mile zone are French, and all the illegal migrants that come are ours. We've given them fish for a further 12 years, we've paid them £800million, we can see right now behind us, a French naval vessel is escorting them in, this is ridiculous.

"We should be demanding a refund."

Official figures show more than 44,000 migrants have made the crossing since Labour came to power in July last year.

The Government is hoping for a breakthrough with France after years of joint efforts failing to stop the treacherous journeys.

In March 2023, Britain agreed to provide around £476million to cooperate on tackling illegal immigration.

Mr Farage said: "You might as well have a sign on the White Cliffs of Dover which says 'Everyone welcome'."

The veteran Brexiteer said "young, undocumented males" should be " detained in secure accommodation".

Labour came to power with a pledge to "smash the gangs" behind smuggling. President Macron today said France had "the same resolve to fight against illegal criminal gangs".

Sir Keir said: "We all agree that the situation in the Channel cannot go on as it is so we're bringing new tactics into play and a new intent to tackle illegal migration and break the business model of the criminal gangs."

The Prime Minister declared the Conservative plan to send illegal arrivals to Rwanda for processing "dead and buried" upon taking office.

The House of Commons Library stated this week that arrivals in the first six months of 2025 were "48% higher than the equivalent period in 2024."