Reform UK and National Rally sign pact to return Channel asylum seekers to France

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, and Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally, on September 4, 2026, in Birmingham (United Kingdom). ISABEL INFANTES / REUTERS

The leaders of the British populist party Reform UK and France's National Rally (RN) announced on Friday, September 4, the conclusion of a pact that would, according to them, allow the United Kingdom to send asylum seekers arriving on small boats back to France—should their parties come to power.

"I make you this promise: if the French people [entrust us with the presidency in 2027], our government will do everything in its power to ensure that France is no longer the gateway for illegal immigration to Great Britain," said Jordan Bardella in English at Reform UK's annual congress in Birmingham, earning an ovation.

"The greatest challenge is the one we all know: regaining control of immigration. In recent years, Emmanuel Macron has failed to protect our country. For him, mass immigration is not a problem, it's a project," he continued.

Nigel Farage and the RN president—who is destined for Matignon in the event of Marine Le Pen's victory in the presidential election next spring—then appeared together on stage, where they signed the memorandum of understanding.

Key Provisions of the Pact

According to the text:

• Asylum seekers arriving in the United Kingdom from France would be detained and then sent back to France.
• French authorities would be responsible for returning them to their country of origin.
• The pact includes a cost-sharing mechanism related to border security.

Political Context

Reform UK, which dominated the polls for nearly sixteen consecutive months before the summer, is now neck-and-neck with the ruling Labour Party. The next British general election must be held no later than 2029.

Mr. Farage's party is in turmoil after the broadcast on Thursday of a report showing one of his close associates proposing to circumvent the law to obtain a foreign donation.

"It still looks like a smokescreen, as exists in all democracies regarding patriotic parties," Mr. Bardella estimated during a joint press conference. "I am wary of what is said in the press (...). It is not likely to call into question the cooperation we are building with Nigel."

Previous Proposals and Migration Data

Last month, the movement announced that if it won the election, it would end migrant crossings on small boats as part of what it presented as the largest military operation in the English Channel since World War II. The party notably mentioned plans to send asylum seekers back to France, even without Paris's authorization.

More than 16,000 people have made the crossing clandestinely on small boats since the start of the year—a decrease of more than 40%—but the number of asylum seekers arriving on each boat is increasing, as smugglers have changed their tactics.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday the deployment of additional police officers on the beaches of the English Channel to deter potential crossers.