Latest news with #smallBoats
The Sun
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Border crisis deepens as over 1,000 migrants cross Channel in just 48 hours despite France upping patrols
MORE than 1,000 migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats in just 48 hours. They arrived in 15 dinghies — despite French police ramping up beach patrols and deploying tear-gas to deter launches. 2 2 Home Office figures show 437 crossed in seven small boats on Friday, followed by 583 in eight the next day. It brought the total for the week to 2,083, and the tally for the year so far to 18,400 — up nearly 6,000 compared with this time in 2024. The surge heaps huge pressure on PM Sir Keir Starmer, who last week admitted the situation was 'deteriorating'. French officers were seen ramping up tactics on the beaches, firing gas at groups preparing to launch. But some stood by as migrants waded into the sea and clambered aboard dinghies unchallenged. The PM and French leaders Emmanuel Macron are expected to hold a summit next month focused on tackling the problem. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said Labour has 'totally lost control of our borders' after scrapping the Rwanda deterrent 'before it even started'. He added: 'Every single immigrant needs to be removed to a location outside Europe the minute they arrive. 'We need to repeal the Human Rights Act to stop illegal immigrants and foreign criminals abusing our rules to stay. 'And we should suspend the fishing deal until the French actually do what they are supposed to and stop these boats at sea.'
The Sun
19-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Mastermind of Australia's successful small boats crackdown urges Sir Keir Starmer to resurrect Rwanda plan
A MASTERMIND of Australia's successful small boats crackdown has urged Sir Keir Starmer to resurrect the Rwanda plan. Alexander Downer said it was a tragedy Labour axed the scheme and the PM should 'eat political humble pie'. 3 3 The Aussies cut illegal crossings from a record high of 20,000 in 2014 to nearly zero by sending migrants to the island of Nauru. Ex-foreign minister Mr Downer said: 'I regard it as a tragedy that the Rwanda plan became a party political issue. "The Tories did lots of bad things but that wasn't one. 'It would have worked assuming the legal issues could be properly addressed — and they were being. "So the easiest thing for them to do would be to eat a bit of political humble pie and reinstitute the Rwanda scheme.' But small boat arrivals are about 40 per cent higher on Labour's watch, with more than 40,000 coming here since the election. Sir Keir has said he is open to using offshore processing if there is evidence it works. 3
Telegraph
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Countries refusing to take back illegal migrants could be stripped of visas
Countries refusing to take back migrants who arrive illegally in the UK could be stripped of visas under new plans being scrutinised by Sir Keir Starmer. The Prime Minister said he was looking at taking a more 'transactional' approach to returns agreements and how to treat nations that refuse to sign one with the UK. Sir Keir brought up the idea with fellow world leaders at the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada, as he pressed European counterparts to do more to tackle the small boats crisis. The number of people arriving in the UK on small boats across the Channel so far this year is around 40 per cent higher than it was last year. The crossings have piled pressure on the Government to go further to tackle the problem, with concern seen to be contributing to the surging popularity of Nigel Farage's Reform UK. The UK has returns agreements with countries including Albania, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Iraq, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Georgia, Somalia, Serbia, and Algeria. Each is different – but broadly, they include a commitment to take back citizens who have no right to stay in the UK, such as failed asylum seekers and foreign criminals. Speaking to reporters at the summit, Sir Keir said he had raised the idea of linking returns agreements to visas in a round table discussion on Monday. He said he had 'made clear that we are looking at issues like a smarter use of our visas', saying that included 'looking at whether we should tie our visas to the work that the countries we're dealing with are doing on preventative measures and on returns agreements '. The Prime Minister said: 'We are looking at what we can do on returns agreements. We have done a number of bilateral returns agreements. 'So the question is, again, whether it is possible to go a bit beyond that, including looking at this question of visas now and whether we can't be a bit smarter with the use of our visas in relation to countries that don't have a returns agreement with us'. Asked whether that meant countries that refused to sign returns agreements being stripped of visas, he said: 'Yeah – it would be much more sort of transactional, if you like. 'Now we're looking into it, but certainly I think there are areas like that that we should look more closely at.' Sir Keir also had discussions with the leaders of France, Italy and Germany about where they could cooperate more deeply to tackle the small boats crisis. His talks with Emmanuel Macron, the French president, included discussing 'innovative ways' to tackle the flow of boats, according to a Downing Street spokesman. There is a UK-France summit next month, at which it seems likely that a new package of measures could be announced to counter the crisis. The Downing Street readout of the Starmer-Macron bilateral meeting made mention of the 'deteriorating situation in the Channel', an apparent reference to the high number of crossings this year. Asked whether that amounted to an admission of failure on small boats in his first months in office, Sir Keir said: 'Look, there's a serious situation in relation to the Channel crossings and, as I've said on a number of occasions, nobody should be making that crossing. It is a serious challenge that requires serious responses to it.' Sir Keir said his conversations with Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, focused on what could be done 'upstream' – an area in which Ms Meloni has had 'some success in reducing her own numbers', the Prime Minister added. He also talked to Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, attending his first G7 summit, about the problem of how some of the boats used for crossings often are moved through Germany.
Daily Mail
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
'The French police? No problem!' Shocking boasts of smirking people smuggler to undercover MoS reporter shows why MPs are demanding to know what we get for the staggering £480m we give France to stem the tide of illegal migrants
Flanked by impassive henchmen deep inside a ramshackle migrant camp, the kingpin of a major people smuggling operation cracks into a cynical smirk. Laughing off any suggestion that the French police might stop his dinghies crossing to Britain, the trafficker boasts in broken English how the gendarmes not only pose 'no problem' for his criminal trade, but actually make it 'easy' for him. His damning comments – caught on video by undercover Mail on Sunday reporters last week – reveal just how little French authorities are doing to prevent the record numbers of small-boat crossings, despite receiving £480 million from the UK to tackle the issue. Though shocking, the ruthless Iraqi-Kurdish trafficker's assessment was proved right the very next morning. A boat crammed with more than 50 migrants sailed away from a beach near the tented migrants' village in Northern France as ten officers in riot gear stood idly by. The rare glimpse into the workings of a ruthless trafficker comes as part of a Mail on Sunday investigation into how these hardened criminals are running rings around police and making a mockery of Sir Keir Starmer 's vow to 'smash the gangs'. More than 15,000 people have arrived in the UK in small boats so far this year – up 42 per cent on the same period in 2024. Today, our investigation can reveal that: The Home Office fears police patrols in northern France are depleted in the busy summer months as officers are redeployed to the south to help with the tourist season; One gendarme said there were simply 'not enough' officers to deal with the number of migrants, despite the UK's huge handout to bolster patrols; Smugglers are now launching dinghies further up the coast then having migrants wade into the sea to board them, where police will not intervene; A migrant detention centre that was supposed to be built in Dunkirk with British taxpayers' money appears to be just an empty industrial site after construction was delayed. His damning comments – caught on video by undercover Mail on Sunday reporters last week – reveal just how little French authorities are doing to prevent the record numbers of small-boat crossings. Pictured: Migrants set off aboard a small boat from the beach at Gravelines The findings sparked outcry from MPs last night, with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp slamming the French response as 'completely useless'. It is thought that well over 1,000 migrants are currently squatting in squalid camps around Calais and Dunkirk, waiting to take advantage of the calm summer seas to set sail for Britain. The Mail on Sunday found hundreds of men, women and children gathering around the town of Grande-Synthe, a suburb to the west of Dunkirk. Here they have established a self-sufficient commune akin to the notorious Calais 'jungle' that was shut down in 2016. Makeshift cafes feed dozens of hungry mouths, and barbers ply their trade. But these ramshackle settlements have also seen escalating violence between desperate migrants and callous people smugglers. Last weekend, a 27-year-old migrant from Yemen was shot twice at the jungle camp in neighbouring Loon-Plage, while two migrants and two security guards were killed in December. Frenzied activity surrounds a shopping centre in Grande-Synthe, where migrants top up on supplies before catching the free local bus service to and from the camps. It was here that our undercover reporters, posing as a family who wanted to get their Indian cousin across the Channel, met a young Sudanese migrant named Abbas, who led us to the headquarters of the kingpin people trafficker. After trekking through dense foliage and over a railway track, the group finally reached a small clearing dotted with tents, water stations and roaming chickens. Our reporters were interrogated by a series of henchmen, with one suspecting a police sting, before the boss finally emerged after almost an hour of nervous waiting. Wearing a blue hoodie and white baseball cap, the trafficker, who gave his name as Mamand, said he had boats up to 32ft long that could take around 55 migrants across the Channel at a cost of £1,270 each (€1,500) – meaning he could be pocketing up to £70,000 per trip. To aid his faltering English, Mamand used a cigarette lighter to illustrate how his boats slipped past beach patrols before being escorted to English waters by French maritime 'security'. Pictured: Migrants set off from Gravelines This is less than half what it often costs during winter, with the discounted price most likely due to the greater amount of business smugglers can do in fair weather. Smiling, he said the French police posed 'no problem' to his criminal enterprise. 'We send one boat, maybe the police take,' he said. 'But we take another [at the same time]. We send. We do not stop.' He told our undercover reporters: 'You can sleep here' ready for their crossing which 'may be tomorrow, maybe after tomorrow, maybe today. Which day water is good, if everything is good, we send.' To aid his faltering English, Mamand then used a cigarette lighter to illustrate how his boats slipped past beach patrols before being escorted to English waters by French maritime 'security'. Asked if this meant the French were helping the migrants, he replied: 'Only in water, help. If problem [with the dinghy in the water, they] come in. If no problem, go,' he said, waving his hands dismissively. Asked if this meant the journey was made easy, the trafficker replied: 'Yes.' His words underline growing frustration with the French navy, who have been accused of 'escorting' dinghies to English waters, intervening only if the boats run into trouble, but otherwise allowing their free passage. The following morning, the smuggler's claims played out with unerring accuracy. At about 5am on Wednesday, we watched on as a boat overloaded with migrants sailed from Gravelines beach – around 12 miles west of Dunkirk – where ten gendarmes stood idly by, either powerless or unwilling to stop them. At one point, a naval vessel sped towards the dinghy as it appeared to struggle in choppy waters. But once it seemed safe, the French boat turned back and left it on its way. The dinghy was one of six boats carrying 400 migrants that arrived in England that day. French police say their hands are tied by maritime law, which means they are not allowed to intercept boats once they are in the water for safety reasons. On Wednesday morning another tactic was on display. While migrants gather at designated beachheads, smugglers launch their dinghies from a secret location elsewhere on the coast without passengers. When they get to the assembly points, the migrants wade into the sea and clamber on to the vessels – because once they are in the water the police do not intervene. Mamand said he had up to four pick-up spots around Dunkirk. One gendarme at Gravelines on Wednesday told us that he had been on patrol in town when three colleagues on the beach called for back-up after spotting a dinghy coming into view from the east. But by the time reinforcements arrived, there was nothing they could do, as the migrants were already boarding the boat. 'We try to do our best,' the officer said. 'As you can see, we are not going in the water because it's dangerous for us and it's dangerous for them. If you go in the water, you have to take care. 'If we try to stop them in the water and they drown, it is our fault under the law, currently.' French police say their hands are tied by maritime law, which means they are not allowed to intercept boats once they are in the water for safety reasons. Pictured: Police enter the water to try to stop migrants boarding small boats at Gravelines He added: 'Three police for 50 migrants – it is not enough.' By Friday, though, the gendarme had seemingly overcome their reluctance to get wet, as officers were pictured knee-deep in water, dragging migrants ashore. In an apparent change in tactics, police even used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse migrants from the beach. The operation, though, was only a partial success, as some boats still made it out to sea. Meanwhile, a local politician in Boulogne, about 25 miles to the west of Calais, summed up the French attitude. 'OK, the British have given us millions of pounds and the cameras and drones help the gendarmes spot the migrants,' he said. 'But in England the authorities meet the migrants off the boats and take them to hotels. 'The impression we get is that the English are quite happy to see them. Otherwise why would they put them up in hotels? The magnet for the migrants has always been England. It's El Dorado. So let the migrants sail over to the UK and let the British sort out its problem.' Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'Despite the huge amounts of money we have paid them, the French response is completely useless. 'Migrants are able to circulate freely and even if they are stopped on the beach they are released so they can try again the next day. It is totally unacceptable that the French do not intercept at sea, as the Belgians do, but instead usher illegal immigrants into UK waters. 'It is no surprise that so far 2025 has been the worst year in history for illegal immigrants crossing the Channel. Labour's claim to smash the gangs lies in tatters.' Reform MP Lee Anderson said: 'None of this should come as any surprise. I went to the camps three years ago and it was obvious then that French police were turning a blind eye. Nothing has changed. 'I don't blame them – it's our fault. Fundamentally, by the time migrants reach Calais, they're in England. It might take them 20 attempts to get here, but they're not going anywhere else because they have so much help, not just from people traffickers but from non-government organisations. 'Arresting the traffickers won't work. Even if you lock up a gang leader for 30 years, 20 more will take his place because the cash rewards are so great. 'The only solution is to stop putting migrants in hotels when they arrive. Turn them around and send them straight back to France.' A Home Office spokesman said: 'We are strengthening our vital cooperation with France to disrupt the gangs behind these crossings. 'From this month, a new unit of dedicated officers has been mobilised to increase patrols along the northern coast of France. 'At the same time, the French authorities are working to amend their operational policy to allow maritime forces to intervene in shallow waters.'
BBC News
12-06-2025
- BBC News
More than 15,000 people in small boats cross Channel in 2025
More than 15,000 people have crossed the English Channel on small boats so far in comes as 400 people in six boats reached Dover in Kent on Wednesday, taking the yearly total to 15,212 - an increase of 35% compared with the same point in 31 May, 1,195 people crossed the channel in 19 small boats - the highest daily number recorded in Home Office said it had put together a "serious plan" to take down people-smuggling gangs at every stage. The Home Office added: "We are strengthening international partnerships and boosting our ability to identify, disrupt, and dismantle criminal gangs whilst strengthening the security of our borders."At the start of the month, the yearly number of arrivals was up 42% on the same period in 2024, and up 95% on the same point in 2023.
