The number of migrants crossing the English Channel since Labour came to power has reached 50,000, a figure described as unacceptable by Education Minister Jacqui Smith.
Smith, who previously served as Home Secretary under Gordon Brown, told BBC Breakfast that the scale of crossings highlights how criminal gangs have entrenched themselves in the trafficking trade over recent years.
She said that the government’s Borders Bill, now progressing through Parliament, will introduce stronger powers similar to those used against terrorism to dismantle smuggling networks. These measures aim to target the gangs profiting from human misery and put an end to the dangerous journeys across the Channel.
Smith emphasised the urgency of the situation, warning that public confidence in Britain’s border control is at risk. She noted that the government has doubled the number of processed asylum claims, made new agreements with France, and increased resources for the Border Force to make arrests and intercept illegal crossings.
A key part of the government’s strategy is the new “one in, one out” agreement with France, which allows the UK to return one migrant who entered by irregular means in exchange for accepting an asylum seeker from France whose claim has a higher likelihood of success.
However, Home Office sources indicate the arrangement will initially apply to only around 50 asylum seekers.
Smith stressed that the ultimate deterrent will be ensuring swift decisions on asylum claims, with those who have no right to remain being returned promptly.
