France is a safe country for refugees apart from those who do not like garlic, Jacob Rees-Mogg has said.
The Commons Leader was responding to a question about small boats crossing the Channel, saying: “I wonder how often France has been called safe in this particular chamber over the centuries, but I think we can accept that it is safe for most refugees except those who don’t like garlic who may need to escape.
“What has been going on in the Channel is appalling and is something that should concern us all because it is led by people smugglers, it is led by evil people and it has led to deaths and we need to protect further lives from the most dangerous crossings and break the business model of the criminal gangs who exploit desperation.”
Conservative MP for Redcar Jacob Young had called on the Government to declare the “crisis in the channel as a national emergency” after more than 28,000 crossed in 2021 from the “safety of France”.
