Lowe backs "Save Europe Act" remigration campaign rejected by Brussels

Rupert Lowe has publicly backed the Save Europe Act, a campaign calling for a halt to "non-Western" immigration into the EU and the "remigration" of some migrants.

The Restore Britain leader posted on X at 21:38 BST on Saturday 17th October: "Save Europe." His post carried a campaign graphic describing him as "Founder of Restore Britain, and a first signer of the Save Europe Act", with the words "Sign the Act now".

Mr Lowe is also listed among the campaign's supporters on its website, alongside figures including Hungary's Viktor Orbán, Spain's Santiago Abascal and France's Eric Zemmour.

What the campaign wants

The campaign's website says it wants to "halt replacement migration, secure our borders, and protect the ethnocultural identity of European nations", and aims to gather one million signatures.

According to the European Commission, the organisers asked it to propose a "temporary moratorium on new non-Western immigration channels, including study and family reunification visas", along with faster returns and the "systematic and accelerated remigration" of illegally staying migrants, rejected asylum seekers and "further categories of non-European migrants".

The Commission's decision

The Commission refused to register the initiative on 22nd July. In its formal decision, it said the proposed moratorium "would not be based on migration-management criteria but on the ethnic, cultural or civilisational origin of the persons concerned" and "would discriminate on the basis of race and ethnic origin". It concluded that the initiative was "manifestly contrary" to EU values and the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

The decision names the campaign's contact persons as Eva Vlaardingerbroek and the Austrian activist Martin Sellner.

Mr Sellner told Euronews in July: "We believe the Commission acted against European law by preventing citizens from asking for specific measures," and said the group was preparing a legal challenge. The campaign said it had gathered nearly 600,000 signatures informally, Euronews reported.

Greens/EFA MEP Cristina Guarda called the Commission's decision "a righteous act" and described the petition as "hate propaganda promoted by the far right", according to Euronews.

The main points

- Rupert Lowe has backed the Save Europe Act and is promoted as one of its "first signers".

- The campaign wants a pause on "non-Western" immigration into the EU and the return of some migrants.

- The European Commission refused to register it in July, saying it would discriminate by race and ethnic origin.

- The organisers said they would challenge that decision in court.

- The campaign is aimed at the EU, which the UK is no longer part of.

Image: Romaine, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons