A Labour minister was torn apart on Sky News over the small boats crisis. Armed Forces minister Luke Pollard was pressed on why France did not stop any of the 17 dinghies that carried more than 1,000 migrants across the Channel on Saturday.
Presenter Wilfred Frost said: “The 1,000 that came across came on 17 boats. Are France actually trying to help us with this problem?” Mr Pollard said: “They are and the agreement we signed with France will not only enable us to see returns agreements immediately helping to undermine the business model of the people smugglers.
“If you get on a small boat and arrive in the UK you can be returned and that’s what the agreement sent.
“But also for the very first time we’ve secured an agreement from our French friends to start tackling boats in French waters.”
The host then asked: “Why did they not stop… 17 boats is a lot… do you not think they could have stopped one of them?”
Mr Pollard said: “We’re working with them more, we’ve got National Crime Agency officers deployed alongside our French colleagues, there’s more that we want to do.
“And that’s why signing this agreement, creating that pilot scheme that the Home Office are working with France on about not only returns but how we work together to tackle the flow of migrants is so important.
“But look, we’ve got a lot of work to do here but we’re making progress.”
Some 1,097 migrants crossed the Channel in 17 boats on Saturday, bringing the total in 2025 so far to 30,100.
This is up 37% on this point last year (22,028) and 37% higher than at this stage in 2023 (21,918).
It is the earliest point in a calendar year at which the 30,000 mark has been passed since data on Channel crossings was first reported in 2018.
The record arrivals come as Shabana Mahmood was appointed Home Secretary on Friday, as part of a major Government reshuffle in the wake of Angela Rayner’s resignation.
The former justice secretary is expected to unveil plans to move asylum seekers from hotels into military barracks as the Government seeks to harden its approach.
The migrants returns deal with France, which took effect in August, is yet to begin the first removals of people back to the continent.