EXCLUSIVE: France didn’t take back 98% of its illegal migrants sent to UK in 2020

Brexit has made no difference – Official facts show France wasn’t co-operating for years

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2021

Facts4EU.Org reveals how France behaved towards the UK even under the EU’s own rules

Home Office figures obtained by Facts4EU.Org show that last year (2020) only 2% of all UK requests to return illegal migrants from France were actually taken back by the French. The grand total France took was just 25, out of almost 1,200 British requests, and these included criminals.

As illegal channel crossings from France continue to mount daily, totalling 1,185 yesterday alone, some commentators have suggested that Brexit is somehow to blame. In our report below we show this is not the case.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

UK’s requests in 2020 to France to take back illegal migrants coming from France

France did not take back 97.9% of all illegal migrants requested by the UK in 2020
Total taken back by France: 25
Yesterday 1,185 illegal migrants arrived from France by boat in one day alone
Over 23,000 have arrived so far this year

Last year for every one illegal migrant that France accepted back from the UK,
the UK accepted 17 illegal migrant returns from France

This is not about Brexit – France has never co-operated under EU rules

It is said that the French refusal to co-operate in stopping this dangerous and illegal activity is as a result of the tensions between France and the UK caused by France’s fishing dispute.

Below we prove that this is not the case. FactsEU.Org shows – using detailed Home Office data we have obtained – that France was effectively refusing to co-operate with the United Kingdom even before the UK left the EU, when the EU’s so-called ‘Dublin Regulation’ applied.

What were the EU’s rules and to what extent was France ignoring them?

The broad principles of the EU’s rules on returns of illegal migrants were framed under something called the ‘Dublin Regulation’. In short, migrants were supposed to apply for asylum in the first EU country they entered, as all EU member countries are considered ‘safe’. If an illegal imigrant entered an EU country from another EU country, then the migrant could be returned there.

It is important to stress that the UK was still bound by the Dublin regulation until 01 January 2021, as of course was France.

“From 1 January 2021, following the UK’s departure from the EU, strengthened inadmissibility rules came into effect. Prior to the UK leaving the EU, the Dublin Regulation established the criteria and mechanisms for determining which state was responsible for examining an application for international protection.”
- UK Home Office, Mar 2021

France’s record over the last five years (while the UK was still an EU member)

Facts4EU.Org has analysed the Home Office data for the last five years, going back to 2016 when the UK held its EU Referendum.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

In the five years since 2016, while the UK was still a member of the EU:-

France failed to take 95% of all requests for the return of its illegal migrants entering the UK
France took back only 161 individuals from the UK in all that time
Yesterday (11 Nov 2021) 1,185 illegal migrants were not stopped from leaving France in small boats, UK-bound
To date this year, France has not agreed to take back a single illegal migrant departing its shores in a boat

Observations

This is now very serious

The problem of France de facto exporting its illegal migrant problem to the United Kingdom has now reached very serious proportions. The number of illegal migrants reaching the UK’s shores so far this year is already more than 300% up on last year, according to Home Office figures.

The illegal Channel crossings are now finally making the headlines, but it should not be forgotten that on top of these numbers are the illegal migrants who are continuing to stow away in the boots of cars and the backs of trucks coming from France. According to Migration Watch over 9,000 illegal migrants have made it to the UK in vehicles this year alone.

This is no longer a Brexit issue - if indeed it ever really was

Surely now the question of whether someone voted Leave or Remain is entirely immaterial to the serious matter of the large numbers of illegal migrants leaving France with apparent impunity and arriving in the UK, never to be deported back to France.

Two things are clear. Firstly, France has no interest in behaving as it should, preventing the mass exodus of its illegal population from its northern shores. Secondly, it matters not what the Rt Hon Priti Patel MP, Home Secretary, tells her party conference and the public, the Government is demonstrably failing to protect the country's borders. Urgent and decisive action is now required.

Facts 4EU.Org has more exclusive evidence

In addition to the exclusive Home Office figures on French reluctance to take back its illegal migrants from the United Kingdom, Facts4EU.Org also has some detailed figures on the huge weight of illegal migrants now in the EU, many of whom will have the UK as their ultimate destination. We have also obtained figures on how many the EU considers to be a security threat, as well as EU figures on its own returns.

This will make devastating reading, we believe. If any generous readers would like to make donations to sponsor this report, we might be able to publish on Sunday if we work solidly through.

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[ Sources: UK Home Office | EU Commission ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Fri 12 Nov 2021

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Reader Comments 15

1. One eyed king , Friday, November 12, 2021, 07:36:

The home office is not just entirely unfit for purpose, they are complicit
The rise in the amount of crossing is directly linked to the attempt to destabilise opinion regarding brexit. This will increase with direct involvement from within the government and massively aided by Whitehall. This is treason and make no mistake. They act for foreign powers against us.

2. Denise Bevan , Friday, November 12, 2021, 07:43:

I get the impression it was only ever the UK that actually obeyed EU "rules". Other member countries do only if it suits them.

3. Harry Cason , Friday, November 12, 2021, 08:28:

Suspend ALL French fishing licences!

4. Debbie from Dorset , Friday, November 12, 2021, 11:29:

For me when you said "Last year for every one illegal migrant that France accepted back from the UK, the UK accepted 17 illegal migrant returns from France" that about said it all. We're too soft and the government should toughen up!

5. Robert McDonald , Friday, November 12, 2021, 11:31:

There is only one way to deal with the illegal migrant influx from France. Don't expect the French to do anything to help, they are complicit and I question whether there is a financial benefit to some of the gendarmerie who stand waving the boats off.
We must deal with the problem on our territory by making the journey less attractive. No more HOTELS for the migrants. Purpose made migrant camps in remote locations to shelter them, feed them and give basic medical assistance. But NO HOTELS. As soon as they get fed up with camp life then we can offer them a free trip back to their home lands, or even a boat to go back to France. No more money to France to stop crossings, spend the money on migrant camps over here.

6. Not4EU , Friday, November 12, 2021, 11:54:

For every boat of illegals being trafficked here, the French should lose a fishing licence.
Border Farce, run by Serco - who coincidentally also have a lucrative Govt contract for accommodation, health & welfare of illegal migrants that they bring (what a nice vertically integrated business model so no incentive to prevent illegals) and sadly also the now woke RNLI, should be charged with people trafficking. There are now many who will no longer contribute to the politicised RNLI for their complicitness in people trafficking. They need to go back to their intended purpose instead of being Serco's border farce taxi service. It's 'odd' that these boats only ever 'get into trouble' once in British waters.
Stop the pull factor & remove the red carpet treatment for all illegals.
Perhaps, instead of continually bunging France money, we should pay the Poles to protect our borders instead.
Our country's infrastructure is still built for a population of 55m. In 2007, unofficial estimates put it at 80m+. Now it must be in the 90m.
Brexit has shown us just how incompetent & weak the fat cat troughers in Govt & Parliament really are, & the absolute failure of 'professional' MPs who've never had a proper job in their lives & the 'party system' which really is one party with different coloured badges. One thing is blatantly clear, they do NOT work for you.
Withdraw from the migration pact & other 'globalist' agreements & sort this 'kin mess out.

7. One eyed king , Friday, November 12, 2021, 13:32:

So what's the difference between what macron and lukashenko are doing?
We are paying for the boats through our payments for the french
That is how they regard us, as mugs ripe for the picking.

8. Richie , Friday, November 12, 2021, 15:13:

If Brexit was as it was sold ie "taking back control" - of our borders etc, then it's apparent that you've all been duped. Control is in the hands of those you voted for, no one else can be blamed now but you who voted them in & the people who painted slogans on buses - & those who were convinced by posters on buses. Perhaps they should have elaborated at the time what sort of control they wanted but none of you bothered to ask. It was all a wink & a nudge.
You all wrongly assumed that the right sort of people would be affected - not you. Trump did the exact same thing with his mob of sycophants, who still enrich him to this day, despite him nearly bringing them a civil war, breaking up workplaces, communities & even families along political lines - not to mention a bunch of laws Orwellian laws eroding civil rights. During all the chaos, the stock market saw record growth.
Careful what you wish for - you may actually get it. I guess you're learning this only now but will forget it but the time you hit the pubs this evening. Rinse, repeat - it must be great being a conservative MP; people never learn nor remember. So easy that you can have another job to keep raking in while people blame other people for their own folly.
That'll conclude my weekend rant, I'll leave you to clean up the mess you created. Godspeed.

9. Milly5877 , Friday, November 12, 2021, 17:38:

If France doesn't take back illegal immigrants from the uk, then why does the uk take back illegal immigrants from france? And who are the illegal immigrants the uk is taking back from france?

10. R. Ellison UK , Friday, November 12, 2021, 17:58:

Nothing to do with Brexit. This is the New World Order. Bringing in migrants from poorer countries in the thousands, building houses for them so they stay, and meanwhile killing off and sterilising existing British citizens by use of experimental vaccines, and extra deaths achieved through not treating those with serious illnesses. Hospitals are filling up with the vaccinated, now dying. The Evil being perpetrated is done with full knowledge, no conscience on maiming children, and all done in the name of 'Science'. This is not Science. It's Genocide Many more are dying and being horribly disabled by the vaccines than those who caught Covid. The Facts prove this is many countries now. The great awakening will soon happen, even among the vaccinated. Those publicly boasting about Build Back Better/Great Reset/New World Order/ the Davos Group will experience their turn to be terrified. The Massacre of the Innocents is about to end. And a Natural Justice will prevail, thanks be to God.

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