France has been accused of helping people smugglers after a surge in unlawful crossings into the United Kingdom via the English Channel.
The news comes after a new record was set yesterday with 1000 migrants reaching the UK in one day alone.
So far this week, 50 migrants crossed the Channel on Monday, 504 on Tuesday, 703 on Wednesday and more than 1,000 on Thursday. As of Wednesday, France had intercepted 568 attempted crossings, less than three in 10.
According to reports, France is said to have stopped just “a couple of boats” crossing the Channel on Thursday.
Reports also held more than 3,000 migrants have crossed the Channel in the first 11 days of November, with the French intercepting fewer than 30 percent
Home Secretary Priti Patel is said to be ‘furious’ at the “go slow” by France on intercepting migrant boats.
A Whitehall source told the Telegraph the French have let migrants carry out dangerous crossings.
They said: “Today, the French government failed in their duty to protect life and to uphold the joint agreement to stop small boats leaving France.
“They let hundreds of people potentially set sail to their death whilst only stopping a couple of boats.
“They appear to have ceded sovereign territory to criminal people smugglers.
“This abject failure will be raised in the strongest possible terms with Gerald Darmanin and the French government.”
Tony Smith, a former head of Border Force, also accused the French of Brexit “spite” for not backing an agreement to take back migrants who should have claimed asylum in a “safe” European country before they arrived in the UK.
In response, Gen Frantz Tavart, who oversees the 130 gendarmes policing a 45-mile stretch of coastline covering the Pas-de-Calais region, blasted back at accusations Paris is intentionally allowing migrants to cross to the UK.
He told the outlet: “I can tell you categorically that the orders coming from French authorities are to be as effective as possible to try and intercept a maximum number of migrants.
“It would be as stupid to suggest we would open the migratory floodgates due to a fishing dispute as it would to suggest we shouldn’t turn out to commemorate the British soldiers who died on French soil on Armistice Day, which I did today in Arras.”
Editor-in-Chief | Carl D. Pearson has been involved in British politics and media from an early age, with the key knowledge of what it takes to run a news organisation for the 21st century. Mr Pearson, as Editor-in-chief, is responsible for supervising the daily tasks of publishing media and content to UNN’s website and various platforms.
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