Boris Johnson brands migrant crossings ‘very bad, stupid and criminal’
Boris Johnson has branded migrant crossings in the English Channel a ‘very bad and stupid and dangerous and criminal thing to do’.
The Prime Minister hinted at changing laws to tackle the crisis after it emerged that at least 597 migrants made the dangerous crossing between Thursday and Sunday.
Efforts to address the crisis intensified today as crossings continued in the early hours of the morning, with an inflatable dinghy thought to be carrying more than 20 Syrians met by a Border Force patrol boat off the coast of Dover in Kent.
Speaking during a trip to St Joseph’s school in Upminster, Mr Johnson said: ‘There’s no doubt that it would be helpful if we could work with our French friends to stop them (migrants) getting over the Channel.
‘Be in no doubt what’s going on is the activity of cruel and criminal gangs who are risking the lives of these people taking them across the Channel, a pretty dangerous stretch of water in potentially unseaworthy vessels.
‘We want to stop that, working with the French, make sure that they understand that this isn’t a good idea, this is a very bad and stupid and dangerous and criminal thing to do.
‘But then there’s a second thing we’ve got to do and that is to look at the legal framework that we have that means that when people do get here, it is very, very difficult to then send them away again even though blatantly they’ve come here illegally.’
Home Secretary Priti Patel also headed to Dover, and was spotted disembarking from a police boat that had been out in the Channel earlier that morning.
At the same time, the Royal Air Force (RAF) dispatched a plane to survey the Channel after the flight was authorised by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.
The Government has faced growing criticism and accusations of being ‘increasingly chaotic’ in its handling of the crisis.
Meanwhile Calais MP Pierre-Henri Dumont, when asked about involving the Navy, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘This is a political measure to show some kind of resource to fight against smugglers and illegal crossings in the Channel, but technically speaking that won’t change anything.’
Asked if it might be a deterrent, he added: ‘Yes, but that’s dangerous, because if there is a vessel from the Royal Navy trying to push a vessel, very small boat full with migrants, back into French waters – first you could say that you’ve got British vessels entering French waters, I don’t know if the British Government would be very happy to see the other way, if French vessels would enter without any ask, before or without any decision before, into British waters.’
He said French authorities were already trying to do ‘whatever we can’ to intercept crossings.
More than 4,000 migrants have now reached the UK so far this year, making the crossing across the world’s busiest shipping lane.
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