‘We have to send any economic migrants back’
TORY MP IS BACKING IDEA TO TURN CHANNEL BOATS AROUND
AN MP has said “economic migrant” boats discovered in the English Channel should be turned around and sent back to France.
Andrew Bridgen, who represents North West Leicestershire, is backing the idea, which Home Secretary Priti Patel is reported to be sanctioning.
The proposed tactics would be a change from the existing policy of escorting the vessels into Dover and other UK ports. Talks about the crossings are taking place between the UK and France.
According to reports, Ms Patel has ordered officials to rewrite maritime laws to allow Border Force to turn boats around, forcing them to be dealt with by French authorities.
Speaking on ITV’S Good Morning Britain on Friday, Mr Bridgen said: “These are economic migrants and, bear in mind, we’ve been paying the French a considerable amount of money for their forces to protect our coastline, police their coastline and prevent this from happening.”
He believes the UK is being punished by EU neighbours for Brexit.
“What actually is happening now, in post-brexit Britain, is the French are trying to hold us to ransom and they’re letting the migrants cross freely,” he said.
“They want us to sign up to an agreement with the European Union where the UK will take a proportion of all the migrants that arrive in the EU – and I’ll let your viewers guess which migrants they will be sending us.”
When asked what pressure could be applied to force the boats to turn around, Mr Bridgen replied: “Well, we’ve got the Border Force with boats and we have got the Royal Navy.
“Clearly, if an economic migrant boat is intercepted mid-channel, it’s just as far, or as dangerous, to take them forward to the UK as it is to turn them back to France.
“We should take them onboard, take the boat in tow and take them straight back to France.
“This is what we should have been doing a long time ago. It’s the only way we’re going to disincentivise these economic migrants from coming over.
“These are economic migrants. I don’t think anybody, even the most ardent Francophobe, would say that France is not a safe country in which to claim asylum, which is what these people should be doing and not coming to the UK.”
There have also been reports, according to the Press Association (PA) news agency, that members of the Border Force are being given special training to handle migrant boats, but would only deploy the pushback tactics when it was deemed practical and safe to do so.
Such operations would, however, likely be restricted to sturdier, bigger migrant boats and only used in limited circumstances.
A Home Office spokesman said: “We do not routinely comment on maritime operational activity.”
According to the Home Office, the UK authorities had to rescue or intercept 456 people as part of 17 incidents on Tuesday alone last week, and 301 people as part of nine incidents on Wednesday.
The French, meanwhile, reported a total of 18 events over the two days, preventing a total of 628 people from reaching the UK.
Earlier this year, the UK and France announced an agreement to more than double the number of police patrolling French beaches in a bid to stop small boats from leaving France.
As part of the deal, the Government pledged to give France £54 million to support its efforts.
Charities have urged the Home Office to take a “more humane and responsible approach” towards asylum seekers and said humanitarian visas were needed to help “prevent the chaos of the Channel crossings”.
At least 13,000 people have now made the crossing to the UK in 2021, according to data compiled by PA.