Navy criticised for using vessels ‘too big’ for Channel rescues

The Royal Navy has been criticised for being a "waste of time and resources" by using boats too big for the job of rescuing migrants crossing the English Channel.

Women, children and single men were among hundreds of people brought ashore yesterday as the Ministry of Defence took over responsibility for handling migrants crossing the English Channel.

Royal Navy patrol vessels were posted in the Channel to oversee operations after being put in charge by Prime Minister Boris Johnson from Thursday.

The naval ships were spotted towing empty dinghies used by the people smugglers back to the UK after those onboard were offloaded on to boats operated by Border Force, which is part of the Home Office.

Portsmouth-based patrol vessel HMS Blazer, which is 21m long and 6m wide, was pictured towing two small boats into Dover on Thursday.

Military personnel waiting at the dockside in Dover were then meeting the arrivals and placing them on to buses to be taken to processing centres.

Former Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has criticised the Navy's response as a "waste of time and resources" by using vessels which are "too high to pick up migrants", meaning the RNLI and Border Force were still required to carry out the task.

He posted on Twitter: "The new Royal Navy presence in the Channel off to a terrible start...

"The gunwhales on the vessels are too high to pick up migrants, so the RNLI & Border Force are doing the job instead!

"The Navy are then going around picking up the empty dinghies. Waste of time and resources!"

The MOD, Home Office and

RNLI have been approached for comment.

Mr Johnson put the Royal Navy in "operational command" of handling boats crossing the Channel while, under newly-revealed plans, those detained could be flown to Rwanda within weeks.

The MOD confirmed that 562 people were brought ashore from 14 boats on Thursday.

These figures do not include any being intercepted by the French authorities.