Watch Ursula von der Leyen explain how the EU is seeking third country investment and migration deals with African countries like Tunisia and Egypt (but not Rwanda).
"We Europeans are the ones who decide who comes to the European Union and under what circumstances" pic.twitter.com/WZVPm1Gfh1
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Top European leaders could follow Britain's lead on its Rwanda deal as they look to tackle the continent’s migrant crisis.
Despite passionate carping from left-wing opponents, Rishi Sunak’s efforts to get flights off to Rwanda are causing copycat policies from both the EU and Germany, with Tories welcoming their calls as proof Britain is taking the right course.
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In a debate last week, European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen championed her policy of seeking third country investment and migration deals with African countries like Tunisia and Egypt.
The centre-right candidate, who is running for a second term, pronounced: “We Europeans are the ones who decide who comes to the European Union and under what circumstances”.
Asked directly about copying the UK’s Rwanda deal, Ms Von der Leyen said that while the EU has “nothing to do” with Britain anymore, her party backs third-party deals with African countries.
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READ MORE: Thousands of migrants are fleeing the UK to reach Dublin on 'Brexit Express'
European president Ursula von der Leyen wants to copy third country deportation deals (Image: Getty)
Her party’s manifesto pledges “control over migration” and a “halt to uncontrolled migration”.
It also calls for “stronger external borders”, and demands a “fundamental change in European asylum law” to allow member states and the EU to have the “right to decide” who can enter.
In a sign Britain has led the way with its Rwanda partnership, the EPP - which looks on course to win the 2024 European elections, promises they will conclude agreements with third countries that would allow asylum applicants to be transferred there.
This morning, the leader of Angela Merkel’s former party in Germany, the centre-right CDU, similarly said they should copy Britain’s Rwanda policy to deter asylum seekers.
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Friedrich Merz, who is currently ahead in the polls, said he is “firmly convinced” that the Rwanda approach will work.
He added it is “something we could emulate” and would be “a signal that we’re just not going to accept everybody here”.
The likely next German Chancellor also backs a Rwanda-style scheme (Image: Getty)
"The mere prospect that you won’t end up in the promised land of Germany, and that you’ll have to apply for asylum in a third country - say Albania, if you’re trying to get into Italy, or Rwanda if you’re aiming for the UK - will reduce the number of asylum-seekers.
“It is clearly going to deter people, especially young men making their way to Europe who have no real prospect of being granted asylum.”
The pronouncements from both Mr Merz and Ms Von der Leyen provide yet another boost for Rishi Sunak’s migration policy, coming shortly after Ireland complained the fear of deportation is already driving illegal migrants from Britain to Dublin.
Reacting to the statements of support, a Government source told the Express they were always confident that other countries would look to Britain as an exemplar of how to tackle the migration crisis.
They said: “Despite desperate attempts by our critics to suggest otherwise, we’ve long known other countries are looking at the ideas underpinning the Rwanda partnership and how it will help tackle what is obvious to all but the Labour Party that this is a global challenge requiring new solutions”.
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Brexit-hating MEP called Ms Von der Leyen's copycat policy 'inhuman' (Image: Getty)
“We have been the first to operationalise those ideas, and it’s no surprise to us that others are actively looking to follow the fundamentals of our plan.”
Conservative MP Brendan Clarke-Smith added the statements “go to show that we are right about the migration challenges Europe faces and we are right to pursue policies like the Rwanda scheme”.
“Now other countries are following our lead. Labour, so-called charities and lefty lawyers now need to stop playing games and back our plan to put a stop to those cheating our system and putting lives at risk in the Channel.”
European liberal politician and Brexit-hating MEP Guy Verhofstadt accused Ms Von der Leyen’s party’s policy of being “inhuman”, calling on EU progressives to “make sure that the EPP and Von der Leyen’s plan to copy the UK’s Rwanda scheme never materialises”.
“Strengthen Europe's borders, but sending trafficked & vulnerable people to third countries to be processed is sick.”
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Joining the chorus of delight, Home Affairs select committee member Marco Longhi told the Express that the news is "yet more vindication that offshore processing schemes like Rwanda are the way forward. It also shows that we were right to pursue the Rwanda plan in the face of Labour/LibDem/SNP waves of opposition".
"Hopefully even ardent pro-Remain, pro-ECHR centre left colleagues can see that with even the EU pursuing these schemes, we are right to do so.
"Where the U.K. leads the EU often follows."
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Tory deputy chairman Jack Lopresti added: "We've shown that our plan to stop the boats is working, so it's no wonder the EU is now taking notes".
"Meanwhile the Labour Party are planning to take us back to square one with their asylum amnesty that would advertise to illegal immigrants everywhere that Britain is a soft touch.
"Only the Conservative Party knows that the best way to stop the boats is to remove the incentive in the first place."
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