French presidential hopeful sparks outrage with bizarre remote island migrant plan

Even far-right leader Marine Le Pen criticised Laurent Wauquiez's Saint Pierre and Miquelon idea

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.

Wauquiez's proposal, made in a front-page interview with JDNews magazine, has caused consternation in France, including from the government his party supports and from within his own camp.

"No French territory deserves to be treated like a relegation zone," said Manuel Valls, a former prime minister now in charge of overseas territories in Francois Bayrou's government. "Forced exile is the method of a coloniser, not that of an elected official of the French Republic," he said.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a sparsely inhabited French-ruled archipelago located off the coast of northern Canada. The islands remain outside the Schengen free-travel area despite being a part of France.

A map of Saint Pierre and Miquelon:

The issue of illegal migrants whose deportation has been ordered but still remain in France has become a red-hot debate in France.

The far right has seized on the issue of authorities failing to implement many of the so-called OQTF deportation orders - as a sign of weakness from the French state.

However, even far-right leader Marine Le Pen criticised Wauquiez's idea.

"The place for OQTF (migrants) is in their country, certainly not on French territory. The people of Saint Pierre and Miquelon are not second-rate citizens," she said on X.

Some in Wauquiez's party said his proposal disqualified him as a potential presidential candidate. A primary is scheduled for May 17, with a possible second round on May 25.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon Flag

"Many of us thought it was fake news," a conservative lawmaker told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "It shows he won't stop at anything, even the most extreme proposals."

Other European nations have explored schemes to transport migrants overseas. Italy's government drew up plans to send illegal migrants to camps in Albania, evoking comparisons with Britain's aborted scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Wauquiez doubled down on his plan on Wednesday. "All the dangerous OQTFs to Saint Pierre and Miquelon. I stick to my guns," he said on X.