Britain may be faced with up to 100,000 migrants each year, warns a former Border Force Chief. This warning comes after records-breaking numbers of people crossed the Channel.
Tony Smith, who was the ex-director-general for Border Force, stated that there were high chances of a ‘pandemic’.
After a record 1185 migrants crossed Channel, his comments came after three people who had fallen from their kayaks were believed to have died. The French stopped 99 migrants on that day.
Smith claimed that migrants could be arriving in Britain at levels not seen since 2001’s Sangatte crisis, in which thousands attempted to smuggle themselves in, without France agreeing to either take back those caught on the seas or return to France.
Tony Smith, the former head of UK Border Force who has warned a failure by the UK to reach a new agreement with France on how to deal with migrant crossings could lead to 100,000 migrants arriving each year
The Telegraph spoke with Mr Smith who helped put in place the deal in order to stop the crisis during the 2000s. He said: “If we’re talking about 1000 per day, you are reaching the epidemic proportions that I predicted would be reached in 2001.
“That’s when there were 100,000 viewers in a single year. The vast majority of these people came across the Channel.
“They were asleep in Dover’s streets.
“There was an enormous injection of money in the Home Office to deal with this.
“If these numbers continue to rise, then we will have to create facilities to care for migrants.”
Smith spoke out after record 1185 migrants crossed Channel. Three of them fell from their kayaks and were considered dead. That day, 99 migrants were stopped by the French
The 2003 deal between Britain and France led to increased border control, including identification checks by the French side. In addition, millions were spent improving port security.
Earlier this week, Boris Johnson urged France to ‘close off’ the flow of migrants crossing into their country to stop them from sailing to the UK.
Thursday’s record total was higher than the 853-day single-day record that had been set in November. The November figure rose past 3,500 and more than fourfolds last November’s 791.
The figure for this year is almost 24,000 – close to three times as many as in 2020.
Priti Patel (Home Secretary) said Brexit will not affect a deal between Britain & France. The crisis was a shared problem with France and France’s neighboring countries that needed a solution.
Elle added that ‘Stopping this criminal activity was too important to allow anything to get in our way. And suggestions about wider issues affecting cooperation are far from the truth.
«Our police and border team teams work together, day in and day out.
“Together, we arrest and prosecute organised criminals to prevent many departures and save lives.
“But we have to go further than last week.
“I’m determined to move further and faster, and I’m holding discussions with you.” [French interior minister]Gerald Darmanin, this week.
Thursday’s record was broken by 853, which had been set earlier this month. The November total rose past 3500 and more than 4 times that of November 791.
Smith, however, stated that he doubted that Emmanuel Macron’s administration would negotiate.
On Friday, Boris Johnson hit out at Emmanuel Macron’s Government for not policing their beaches to stop migrants from sailing to Britain on small boats, arguing it is difficult for UK Border Force to turn migrants back safely in the English Channel as he defended Priti Patel’s border policies.
Johnson, speaking at Sidcup and Old Bexley, in south-east London, said the UK had been dealing effectively with the crisis of the migrants. Johnson called upon France to close their borders to prevent the flow of migrants who are trying to sail across the Channel to the UK.
Sky News was informed by him that they were coming from France. It is difficult to return them at sea if they are not controlled by the French authorities. It’s difficult to make that happen in a safe, humane manner.
“You need to cooperate with the French, and try to convince them to patrol the beaches which are sending these people to us.”
Whitehall sources slammed France for ‘ceding sovereignty territory to people smugglers’, an incendiary attack against Emmanuel Macron’s government. This was as a record number of migrants crossed over the English Channel every day.
Boris Johnson supported the Government’s immigration policy and attacked France president, arguing France needs to close their borders in order to keep migrants from crossing the English Channel into the UK.
Johnson, speaking at a Sidcup vaccination centre, London, criticized Emmanuel Macron’s government (pictured), for failing to policing the beaches. Johnson also argued it is hard for UK Border Forces to safely turn away migrants at sea.
He then attacked France for not closing their borders or police their beaches. The prime minister argued that migrants arrive in France to cross the English Channel.
“We work all the time together with our French counterparts, as the entire continent faces a migration crise, as you can see from what’s happening in Belarus, and elsewhere. But we must focus on the French beaches.
“What would I say to my French friends? If you shut off the entrance to the corridor at one end, people will not be able to enter the corridor at other end.
“We have to end that flow from France’s beaches to the UK if we want to prevent people fleeing France for the UK.”
Johnson also spoke out in defense of Priti Patel’s new border bill. It aims at deterring illegal entry into Britain. Anyone arriving via an illegal route such as crossing the Channel by boat could be denied admission and sentenced to up to four year imprisonment.
According to his argument, the law might make a distinction “between legal arrivals and illegal ones”, arguing that this will help in the refugee crisis.
He added: “It will not be the end, but it is going to make a big difference in our ability to deal with people arriving here illegally.