The defence secretary has hit out at “shocking” scenes of migrants being picked up by people smugglers “like a taxi” to be brought to the UK on dangerous small boats while French police stand by.
A furious row has erupted over the lack of action after more than 1,000 people are thought to have crossed the channel in a single day on Saturday.
French police officers were seen watching as migrants, including children, boarded at a beach in Gravelines, between Calais and Dunkirk, while authorities were then pictured escorting the boats.
John Healey said it was a “big problem” that French police had not intervened to intercept the boats in shallow waters and said ministers were pushing the French government to implement an agreement that they would.
The authorities in France had to “stop these people in the boats, not just on the shore,” he added.
Mr Healey told the Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips programme on Sky News that the Saturday’s scenes were “pretty shocking”.
He added: “(The) truth is, Britain’s lost control of its borders over the last five years, and the last government last year left an asylum system in chaos and record levels of immigration.”
He said it is a “really big problem” that French police are unable to intervene to intercept boats in shallow waters.
“We saw the smugglers launching elsewhere and coming around like a taxi to pick them up,” he said.
Ministers were pressing the French to put new rules into operation that would allow them to intervene. “They’re not doing it, but, but for the first time for years, for the first time, we’ve got the level of cooperation needed,” he said. “We’ve got the agreement that they will change the way they work, and our concentration now is to push them to get that into operation so they can intercept these smugglers and stop these people in the boats, not just on the shore.”
This year is on course to set a record for Channel crossings, with more than 13,000 people having arrived so far, up 30 per cent on this point last year.
The highest number of arrivals recorded on a single day so far this year was earlier this month, on May 21, when the number was 825.
Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to crack down on crossings, including with measures targeting smuggling gangs.
A Home Office source said: “We have developed strong co-operation with the French and it is important that they have agreed to disrupt these boats once they’re in the water – and not just on the shore.
“This vital step now needs to be operationalised to protect border security and save lives.”
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said that Saturday was a “day of shame for Labour” as he claimed the party had “completely lost control of our borders”.
“So far, this is already the worst year on record. Labour have failed on every front, and Britain is paying the price,” he added.
