Nicolas Sarkozy, the Republican frontrunner for the 2017 French presidential election, told la Voix du Nord that he wants to create a hotspot in the UK for migrants hoping to cross the channel. EurActiv France reports. As most foreigners come to Calais to try and reach Great Britain, I want our British friends to start dealing with requests for asylum in the UK in a closed center on their own territory, and to take responsibility for returning those whose requests are rejected, he told the regional newspaper on Monday (5 September).