No 10 anger at Macron Rwanda betrayal jibe

DOWNING Street hit back at Emmanuel Macron last night after the French president condemned Rishi Sunak’s flagship scheme to deport Channel migrants to Rwanda as a ‘betrayal’ of European values.

In an incendiary intervention, Mr Macron said he did not believe in ‘this model that some people want to put in place, which means that you go and look for a third country, for example in Africa, and send our immigrants there’.

He suggested the scheme would be ‘ineffective’, adding: ‘This is a betrayal of our values and will lead us down the path of new dependencies on third countries.’

Downing Street dismissed the claim, saying the plan was ‘entirely compliant with our international obligations’.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said: ‘In terms of breaking the business model of the criminal gangs, we need a strong deterrent. And we need to make clear that if you come here in a small boat, you won’t be able to stay. We’ve seen other partners and other countries around the world explore similar options.’

Former home secretary Dame Priti Patel said: ‘President Macron is clearly worried that our partnership with Rwanda will mean that fewer migrants will attempt to cross the Channel and he will need to take responsibility for dealing with their asylum applications and with the criminal gangs that are running rife in France.’

The Government’s Rwanda Bill finally became law yesterday after months of delay, and a new treaty designed to ensure the African country is safe for migrants also came into force.

The moves mean that Home Office officials can now start detaining the first batch of migrants destined for deportation to Rwanda ahead of the first flights this summer.