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A senior French politician has ignited fierce backlash after suggesting that “dangerous” migrants who defy orders to leave France should instead be sent to a remote archipelago off the coast of Canada.
Laurent Wauquiez, a leading figure in the right-wing Republicans (LR) party, proposed on Tuesday that Saint Pierre and Miquelon—a windswept French overseas territory in the North Atlantic—could serve as a detention centre for such individuals.
His remarks have come over a broader political shift to the right in France, with the government increasingly adopting rhetoric associated with far-right parties, particularly on issues of immigration and public security.
Wauquiez’s comments follow the controversy surrounding a 37-year-old Algerian national who killed one person in a stabbing attack in Mulhouse in February.
The man had been subject to a deportation order, but Algeria had refused to take him back—a scenario that has fuelled political debate over France’s ability to enforce expulsions.
“I suggest dangerous foreigners under order to leave French territory be locked up in a detention centre in Saint Pierre and Miquelon,” Wauquiez told JDnews, a right-wing outlet.
The archipelago, comprising eight small islands near Newfoundland, is home to fewer than 6,000 people. Wauquiez, who is vying for leadership of his party against Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, argued that the region’s harsh climate could deter those reluctant to leave France.
Under French law, foreigners who lack valid residency documents or are considered a threat to public order can be issued an order to leave. They are currently allowed 30 days to leave voluntarily or face detention for up to 60 days while deportation is arranged. Wauquiez said this period should be extended, although he did not specify by how much.
His proposal has been met with widespread condemnation across the political spectrum.
Overseas Minister Manuel Valls called it “forced exile” and likened it to colonial practices. “This is the method of a coloniser, not a responsible lawmaker,” he said, noting that France abandoned its infamous penal colony in Cayenne, French Guiana, in 1953.
Socialist parliamentary leader Boris Vallaud dubbed the plan “Guantanamo-on-Sea,” describing it as both “shameful” and “stupid.” Even Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally and three-time presidential candidate, dismissed the idea. “People who are under an obligation to leave France should be in their country—not in a French territory,” said Le Pen, who was recently barred from running in the 2027 presidential election due to a conviction for embezzlement.
Wauquiez denied any influence from US President Donald Trump, instead citing Australia’s now-infamous offshore processing model on the Pacific island of Nauru. That policy, introduced in 2012, faced international condemnation after reports of deaths, suicides, and human rights abuses among detainees.
