Ann Widdecombe has claimed that French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron “doesn’t like the British” and “likes us even less after Brexit”.
Her comments come as she hit out at France for not stemming the flow of migrants crossing the Channel.
In conversation with GB News’ Dan Wootton on the issue, Ms Widdecombe said it wouldn't make a difference whether current Prime Minister Boris Johnson or Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer oversaw negotiations with Mr Macron over an immigration deal.
Ms Widdecombe said: “The issue for Macron is not whether the Prime Minister is Conservative or Labour, it’s the fact that he is British.
Ann Widdecombe speaking to Dan Wootton
GB News
A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent
Gareth Fuller
“And Macron doesn’t like us and he’s like us even less since Brexit.
“We’ve already tried cooperation, we paid huge sums to France to stem the flow and they just didn’t.
“And if anything the flow just go worse.”
The UK has recently launched a new immigration scheme, which will see some migrants being processed in Rwanda.
But refugees currently based in Dunkirk say they are not phased by the new rules.
One migrant, called Barzan, said: “I don’t think it’s true that they’re going to send everyone to Rwanda. There will be more than 10,000 this year. Rwanda doesn’t have the space.”
While Mohamed Ali, 17, said the deal was “a big problem” but insisted: “If they take me to Rwanda I’ll come back.”
Even migrants leaving countries bordering Rwanda are willing to take the risk.
When asked what he would do if he was sent to Rwanda, Omar Deaja, 17, from Burundi said: “I would kill myself (because) there is no work, no money to pay for school, no life.
“I want to be a lawyer to help people suffering because I know how it feels to be hungry and feel cold outside. Most people just see on the news and think we are coming to make money. But I left Burundi because I had no family, nothing,” he told The Times.
