Keir Starmer faced ridicule for boasting that Britain is leading the world in tackling illegal migration – as record numbers continued to cross the Channel today.
The Prime Minister highlighted UK plans to slap travel bans and asset freezes on people-smuggling kingpins in talks with fellow world leaders at the G7 summit in Canada.
He held one-on-one talks with his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni and Downing Street said afterwards that he ‘raised the UK’s world-leading work on people-smuggling sanctions’.
Today, however, there was little sign of any deterrent in action as the gangs who organise the crossings continued to outwit French police.
Last week officers on the beaches of northern France waded into shallow waters for the first time and used tear gas and pepper spray in an attempt to disperse hundreds of migrants trying to get into dinghies. But today, they were back to their usual position of just looking on with those piloting the waiting boats simply moving further away from the beach of Gravelines.
It means dozens of migrants wearing lifejackets were forced to go into deeper water before they could clamber on board.
Dramatic images showed migrants in water up to their necks, with several carrying children on their shoulders. Meanwhile, armed officers from the French riot police, known as the CRS, were left standing by once more.
Despite police being on the 3km stretch of beach from before dawn, they were outfoxed by dozens of migrants who hid in the dunes before making a break for the water at the time the boat was due to arrive.
Migrants in the channel wading into water with children on their shoulders attempting to get on an inflatable boat
Migrants hide in the dunes as they wait to board a smuggler’s boat in an attempt to cross the English Channel
Dozens of migrants hid in the dunes before making a break for the water at the time the boat was due to arrive
French Republican Security Corps (CRS – Compagnies Republicaines de Securite) officers drive as migrants walk in the water
Meanwhile The Prime Minister was in Canada for the G7 summit boasting about the UK’s ‘world-leading effort’ on tackling illegal migration
As the sun rose, down the banks the crowd sprinted and into the water at the opposite end of the beach to where the police stood.
An earlier attempt had seen some migrants turned back by officers when the advertised dinghy failed to appear, leaving them stranded in the surf.
A legal loophole prevents, on safety grounds, the authorities from intervening once individuals are in the water. Which made Friday’s action surprising.
But there are fears it was simply for the cameras, because today it was a return to inaction.
It is not known yet how many migrants reached the UK today but the Home Office said there were zero crossings on Sunday, following four days of high activity. So far this year to 16,317 small boat migrants have arrived here, 43 per cent per cent higher than the 11,431 who arrived in the same period of 2024.
Latest Home Office figures show that 1,505 migrants took advantage of better weather to reach English shores between Wednesday and Saturday. Last night Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: ‘The Prime Minister has some gall to claim that he is doing a good job on migration after overseeing record numbers crossing the Channel.
‘So far, this year has been the worst in history for illegal immigrants crossing the English Channel. It is ludicrous that Keir Starmer is boasting about his record when he has lost control of our borders.
‘Far from being innovative, this Labour government cancelled the Rwanda deterrent before it even started, and illegal immigration has surged as a result.’
A group of migrants crowd onto a smugglers boat in Northern France
Not everyone made it onto the boat, with many being left behind disappointed
French Police stood on the beach in an attempt to prevent migrants making the crossing
Migrants arrive at the beach before sunrise to try to evade French Police
French firefighters patrol the beach of Gravelines in an attempt to stop smugglers
The PM had already pledged to put more pressure on the French to help tackle the growing small boats crisis.
He was due to hold a meeting with French president Emmanuel Macron at the G7 summit overnight and told reporters: ‘I want to see more co-operation in northern France, and it’s an issue that I have raised and will raise again with President Macron.’
France, which has been given £480million by the UK in recent years, has promised a review of tactics that could lead to police taking a tougher stance. Asked by the Mail if it was not premature to describe the UK’s approach to people-smuggling as world-leading, a Downing Street spokesman said: ‘We’ve always been clear, there isn’t a silver bullet to this.
‘The only way to tackle this is through international partnerships and international solutions… and the sanctions are just one part of that.’
No 10 said that Sir Keir had a ‘lengthy’ discussion about illegal migration in his bilateral meeting with Italian PM Ms Meloni at the G7 in Kananaskis, Alberta, on Sunday evening.
A readout of the talks said they would ‘continue working together on innovative solutions to break the criminal model of irregular migration. The Prime Minister raised the UK’s world-leading work on people-smuggling sanctions.’
Ms Meloni said at the start of the meeting: ‘I’m very happy about all of our co-operation on migration… and thanks to UK for being very clear on this topic.’ Sir Keir raised his plans again in a formal session on ‘making communities safe’ last night.
‘The Prime Minister will say that the G7 can go further to tackle the blight of organised criminal gangs. We will encourage other leaders to make progress on new sanctions legislation in line with the UK’s approach,’ No 10 said before the meeting.
But critics said there is no evidence the sanctions regime has come into force or had an impact on the people-smuggling trade.
