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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Michel Rose

French presidential hopeful sparks outrage with bizarre remote island migrant plan

A group of people thought to be migrants, including small children leave the beach in Gravelines, France, following an unsuccessful attempt to board a small boat and cross the Channel (PA) - (PA Archive)

French presidential hopeful Laurent Wauquiez has sparked outrage in France, even within his own conservative circles, after proposing to send migrants awaiting deportation to the remote island of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, located off the coast of Canada.

Wauquiez is among a crowded field of potential candidates vying for the conservative nomination in the upcoming 2027 presidential election. Many are competing to adopt the most hardline stance on immigration in an attempt to gain ground on the far-right National Rally.

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