Britain will buy up boats to keep smugglers at bay
BRITAIN intends to stop international criminal gangs getting hold of the small boats used to smuggle people across the Channel.
China and turkey have been identified as key suppliers of the vessels and the Home Office and intelligence experts plan to disrupt the supply chains.
Their tactics include buying up stock to force up prices, with an increased focus on seizing boats that get into the “wrong hands” before they can be used.
The crackdown comes as more migrants are expected after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
The Government is under intense pressure from backbench Conservative MPS to stop migrants and refugees illegally entering the UK via the Channel.
Momentum is building in support of major reform or even repeal of the Human Rights Act.
More than 25,000 people have risked their lives crossing to Britain from mainland Europe aboard dinghies, kayaks and other small boats since the start of last year, according to analysis by the Press Association.
Atory MP who won a “red wall” seat from Labour in 2019, last week warned that voters are so angered by the vessels landing they could let Labour back in by voting for parties such as Richard Tice’s Reform and Laurence Fox’s Reclaim.
A top Home Office source played down the level of anger in the country, saying it is not reflected in correspondence. they also argued that small boat crossings attract attention because they are such a visible form of entry but in pre-pandemic times many people would have arrived by plane or by other methods.
The Press Association found that asylum applications in the UK fell last year to 29,456 – far below the 93,475 in France and 121,955 in Germany.
Dudley North tory MP Marco Longhi warned against playing down the level of anger about illegal entry and said he backed the Home Secretary. He said: “Priti Patel is very clear that there is an issue and she is taking action on it.
“Let me be clear, seats were won on the basis of people voting for Brexit because of the commitment this party made [about] taking back control of our borders and our laws – and the arrival of dinghies in Dover is the most visible expression of us not yet having achieved that.”
He added: “I completely support Priti Patel with what she is doing and I also understand that she is fighting the system.”
The Government’s Nationality and Borders Bill is intended to help crack down on crossings and overhaul the asylum process.
In July, the Government said it would pay the French an extra £54million to tackle the problem.
But last night the French interior minister claimed it had not received any funds.
Gerald Darmanin said: “There is not a euro that has been paid by the British government following the deal we negotiated with Priti Patel.”
However, a source close to the Home Secretary pointed to her conference speech where she said that on the financial offer, it’s not about “giving” France money – their collaboration extends to practical support including policing on the beaches, roads and at the French-belgian border.
‘She is getting things done’