‘Ministry of Remigration’ – Zemmour Promises to Kick Out One Million Migrants from France within Five Years

France's far-right party "Reconquete!" leader, media pundit and candidate for the 2022 pre
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Peter Caddle

Presidential Candidate Eric Zemmour has promised to kick out one million migrants from France within five years should he be elected.

Eric Zemmour, one of two populist firebrands contesting France’s ongoing presidential election, has promised to remove one million migrants from France should he be voted into office.

The promise comes as Zemmour has fallen in the polls compared to his right-wing rival, Marine Le Pen, who is also promising widespread deportations should she be elected French head of state.

However, according to a report by Le Monde, Zemmour plans on founding an entirely new ministry to help the process of repatriating unwanted migrants, which he has dubbed the ‘Ministry of Remigration’.

Under the new ministry, migrants with criminal backgrounds would be deported, partially through the use of return agreements put in place with Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, Zemmour claims.

“I will create the first Ministry of Remigration, responsible for the expulsion of illegal aliens, foreign delinquents and criminals and foreigners on file,” Zemmour declared online.

“You can imagine 100,000 dismissals a year,” Le Monde also reports the Reconquête politician as saying. “It is the remigration of these people who we no longer want.”

“When someone comes to your house and trashes everything and assaults you, you kick them out of your house and you send them home,” he also reportedly said. “You shouldn’t be afraid of words that upset a small [journalistic] environment.”

While the party of Zemmour’s main rival, Marine Le Pen, is seemingly on the same page as the populist political newcomer when it comes to deporting certain groups of foreigners, they have also reportedly taken a dim view of the newly suggested method for such a measure.

“These are demagogic proposals,” criticised Rassemblement National Interim President Jordan Bardella, seemingly in reference to Zemmour’s recent drop in the polls. “The ministry in charge of managing immigration is called the Ministry of the Interior.”

Le Monde also references Zemmour’s recent dive in opinion polls as a possible reason for his campaign announcing this measure, with the candidate dropping to fourth place in the election race, even falling behind left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

The fortunes of Marine Le Pen however are looking far brighter, with the more established populist candidate taking a now commanding lead amongst those looking to topple incumbent President Emmanuel Macron. Le Pen is now projected to earn around 18 per cent of first preference votes and make it to the runoff with the current president.

The electoral darling of Rassemblement National is still some way off from winning the race to the Élysée Palace, however, with President Macron on set for reelection with around 29 per cent of first preference votes, despite his approval rating currently sitting well in the negative amongst the French population.

Zemmour’s camp, meanwhile, is facing problems other than just their relatively poor polling numbers, with there now being numerous instances at this stage of the candidate’s supporters being violently attacked by opponents. One instance of particular note involved six of the populist’s supporters being doused in gasoline after being sprayed by a passing vehicle.

“The driver decelerated by passing in front of them and the passenger sprayed them with a large amount of gasoline,” said a local campaign representative describing the incident. “Even their underwear was soaked.”

The vehicle then apparently attempted to confront the individuals holding the banner again, but was chased away by law enforcement before being able to do so.

French police have since arrested two men in relation to the incident.

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