Richard Tice, the Reform UK leader, said a “nicey-nicey” approach on illegal migration was not working.
Mr Tice told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “With regards to stopping the boats, neither of the main two parties have a plan. We know Rwanda is a farce, it won’t be a deterrent whatsoever, and Labour has no plan.
“Under international maritime law, France has legal obligations in order to prevent the loss of life at sea, to pick up and take back. They are failing in those obligations and if they continue to fail in those obligations, we have the right, the legal right, to pick up and take back to France… The only difference is you pick up and take to France [not Dover].”
Asked what about his experience could bring the French government to the table where others had failed, Mr Tice replied: “Firstly we know it works because it’s what the Belgian authorities are doing. The reality is you’ve got to have a hard discussion with France and say you’ve got to meet your international obligations, otherwise we’re going to do the job for you.
“We know at the moment the being nicey-nicey and diplomatic, not going very well. People are dying in the Channel and the kind and compassionate thing to do is to pick up and take back so people stop dying.”
