French president Emmanuel Macron has denounced Rishi Sunak’s plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda as the politics of “cynicism” and a betrayal of European values.
The French leader also warned it would be “ineffective”, just days after the scheme – designed to give thousands a one-way ticket to the African country – cleared its final parliamentary hurdle.
Downing Street hit back saying its approach was the “right one” and that other countries around the world were exploring “similar options”.
The home secretary James Cleverly also hit out at “lazy” and “distasteful” criticism of the policy, but insisted he was not talking about French leader’s remarks.
The prime minister has pledged to get planes in the air within weeks, a move he argues will create a deterrent effect and stop people trying to reach the UK in small boats.
But Mr Sunak has come under intense pressure to rethink his plans, by the United Nations and others, after five people died off the coast of northern France while trying to cross the Channel earlier this week.
The UK pays France millions of pounds to support policing at the French coast, designed to stop migrants setting out on the perilous journeys.
In a wide-ranging speech on the future of the European Union at Paris’ Sorbonne University, Mr Macron said he did not “believe in the model… which would involve finding third countries on the African continent or elsewhere where we’d send people who arrive on our soil illegally, who don’t come from these countries.”
“We’re creating a geopolitics of cynicism which betrays our values and will build new dependencies, and which will prove completely ineffective,” he added.
Asked about Mr Macron’s criticism, Downing Street said the Rwanda plan was “entirely compliant with our international obligations” and that “our approach is the right one”.
“And indeed, we’ve seen other partners and other countries around the world also explore similar options,” a No 10 spokeswoman said.
Asked about the comments, home secretary James Cleverly said: “Migration, by definition, is international. And the solutions will by definition will be international.”
Insisting he was not talking about Mr Macron’s remarks, Mr Cleverly went on to attack the “distasteful” and “lazy criticism” of Rwanda’s role in the partnership.
Mr Cleverly, who has failed to deny that he called the deportation policy “batshit”, said: “It’s not as well blessed with natural mineral resources as some of its regional neighbours. And it is thinking creatively about how it can be part of the solution to a really serious global problem.
“And we are entering a partnership with this country. And as part of that partnership, there is a transfer of money.”
Mr Cleverly said those arguing Britain should not have “a grown up commercial relationship with African countries” are in effect saying the UK should see them “exclusively through the prism of aid recipients”.
“What message is that sending to developing countries?” he asked.
Leading lawyer and peer Lord Carlile told The Independent: “These are fair comments by the French President. I agree with him.”
The international row erupted as the Rwanda Bill finally became law after weeks of parliamentary deadlock.
On Monday Mr Sunak vowed that the flights would begin to leave within 10 to 12 weeks, but the government is braced for a series of legal challenges to the policy.
The prime minister has promised “multiple flights a month” to Rwanda, but ministers concede that the number of people sent to Kigali will be small at first.
Chartered aircraft are expected to be used, with ministers claiming an airfield has been booked. However, the government has refused to give details of when and where any flights could depart amid fears operators could come under pressure to withdraw from the controversial plan.
The PM’s Rwanda Bill came under fire from opponents for designating Rwanda a safe country, in a bid to deal with a damning ruling from the Supreme Court late last year that it was not a safe place to send refugees.
In his speech, the French president did praise the military co-operation between the two countries: “The British are deep natural allies (for France) and the treaties that bind us together… lay a solid foundation.
“We have to follow them up and strengthen them, because Brexit has not affected this relationship.”
France should seek similar “partnerships” with fellow EU members, he added.
