New record feared for Channel migrants
A RECORD near-200 illegal migrants were feared to have reached the UK across the Channel yesterday as Priti Patel negotiated a new Anglo-french intelligence cell to target “vile” crosschannel people smugglers.
The Home Secretary travelled to France to agree the joint operational unit with her newly-appointed counterpart, Gerald Darmanin, France’s interior minister, with its role being to improve intelligence gathering to prevent migrant attempts and identify the criminal gangs behind the trafficking.
It came as approaching 200 migrants in small boats made it across a becalmed Channel on top of at least 45 migrants prevented from crossing the Dover straits by the French.
The Home Office was unable to confirm the number but a source said it was “likely to be near” 200. The current record number reaching the UK stands at 166 who were picked up in one day at the beginning of June.
In her meeting, Ms Patel also pressed for a new bilateral agreement with the French, enforced by legal changes, that would enable migrants to be returned to France from both French and UK waters as the key means by which to deter more from risking the crossing.
“It is not beyond us in this room to create a plan for returns at sea,” she reportedly said as she sought a new “operational approach” with the French minister. Sources described the talks as “very constructive” with the Home Secretary receiving a commitment from the new minister that “they would now do things differently”.
Ms Patel wants to replace the current so-called Dublin agreement with France and the EU with a new legal framework that will allow Britain to return illegal migrants whether caught on sea or land.
Yesterday’s crossings mean over 2,500 illegal migrants have reached the UK already this year, compared with 1,892 for the whole of last year.