6 2GM Thursday November 25 2021 | the times
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go-round of the asylum process,”
another MP said.
The MPs tried to press upon Johnson
the political risks of the migrant cross-
ings. “We told him that this is some-
thing that is going to be a vote loser,”
one said. “He gets that.”
The MPs said that Johnson criticised
the approach of Macron and theFrench government. “He was saying
that the French have been particularly
unhelpful,” one said. “We told him he
just needs to be resolute like the Austra-
lians and we will back him.”
Steve Barclay, the Cabinet Office
minister, who was recently put in
charge of a cross-government task
force to take charge of the issue, heldmeetings with Conservative back-
benchers this week. Barclay told MPs
he wanted to target migrants with
social media adverts dissuading them
from crossing the Channel. The tactic
was pioneered by the Australian gov-
ernment, whose approach to migrant
boats is regularly praised by Conserva-
tive MPs.Migrants arrive at
Dungeness in Kent
yesterday. Others,
below left, were
picked up by lifeboatsNews Migrant deaths
Boris Johnson accused France last night
of failing to do enough to stop migrants
crossing the Channel and called for
British police and border officials to be
allowed to patrol French beaches.
The prime minister said gangs were
“literally getting away with murder”
and there had been “difficulties” per-
suading France to take more action. He
is expected to press President Macron
to agree to further measures in coming
days.
The UK has offered British police
and border officials to conduct joint pa-
trols on French beaches. France has re-
jected that amid concerns that it would
infringe its sovereignty.
Johnson also said he wanted to “ac-
celerate” the Nationality and Borders
Bill, which will enable the overseas
processing of migrants and reduce their
grounds for appeal.
Last night, after at least 27 migrants
drowned in the Channel when their
boat capsized, he said: “What this
shows is that the gangs who are sending
people to sea in these dangerous craft
will stop at nothing. It also shows that
the operation being conducted by our
friends on the beaches supported with
£54 million from the UK to help patrol
the beaches, all the technical support
we’ve been giving, they haven’t been
enough.
“Our offer is to increase our support
but also to work together with our
partners on the beaches concerned, on
the launching grounds for these boats.
That’s something I hope will be
acceptable now in view of what has
happened.”
He said that he was “shocked and
appalled and deeply saddened” by the
deaths. “My thoughts and sympathies
are first of all with the victims and
families. It’s an appalling thing they
have suffered.”
Earlier in the day Johnson met
Conservative MPs from red wall seats
in his Commons office. He said
he was braced for significant
legal opposition to plans to
stem the number of
migrants coming to the
UK. He has given Do-
minic Raab, the jus-
tice secretary, the
task of overhauling
the Human Rights
Act to prevent
failed asylum
seekers and for-
eign criminals
from using it to
avoid deportation.
One MP present at
the meeting told The
Times: “He agreed that
we can’t just wait for the
borders bill, but that we have
to do something now. He told us to
‘watch this space’.”
Johnson told the eight MPs at the
meeting that he expected a backlash to
his plans. “He said that he needed
our support because there is going to
be political opposition, legal oppo-
sition and also
opposition from
some older colleagues,”
an MP said.
The prime minister left those present
under the impression he was consider-
ing a legal reforms to make crossings
harder, something they have long de-
manded. “We have to smash the merry-France not doing
enough to stop
migrants, says PM
Q&A
How has cross-Channel
migration grown?
When Priti Patel
became home secretary
in 2019 and promised to
crack down on the use
of small boats the
number of people
picked up using them to
enter the UK was 1,800.
The following year it
had risen to 8,420 and
so far this year it is
more than 23,500.
The rise has been
driven by several
factors. Covid-19 has
restricted legal options
for entering the UK and
disrupted clandestine
routes, with less freight
being moved between
France and the UK and
fewer flights taking
place. On top of this the
criminal gangs who
facilitate the crossings
have increased their
operations.
The weather has also
played a factor. This
autumn had been much
less stormy than
previous years.
However, the rise in
small boats needs to be
seen in the context of
broadly stable overall
asylum claims. There
were 37,235 asylum
applications in the year
ending in June, down
4 per cent on the
previous 12 months.Why do migrants not
stay in France?
Experts say the main
factors thatexplain the lure of the
UK are work, family ties
and the English
language.
While Britain’s
“generous” benefits
system is often blamed,
the £39.63 weekly
allowance is less
generous than in
France, where migrants
are given £43.50 a week
and can start applying
for work after six
months. However,
informal work and black
market jobs are easier
to find in Britain than
France, making the UK
more attractive for
illegal migrants.
While the
government has tried to
tighten up the rules
these are not always
enforced. Many
migrants who make it
across will have family
and contacts who can
smooth their path.Is the UK able to return
unsuccessful asylum
seekers to France?
No. Before Brexit, under
EU rules the UK could
return failed asylum
seekers to the European
country where they first
arrived. This was
difficult, time
consuming and not
widely used, but now it
is not an option at all.
Patel has introduced
rules following Brexit
that bar people who
have travelled through
“safe” third countries
from claiming asylum.
The rules give Home
Office immigration
officials six months to
uncover their routes
and prove their claims
are invalid. However, if
there is no agreement
in place to return them
to, for example, France
or Belgium, there is little
the government can do.
Of the 4,561 people
who crossed the
Channel in the first six
months of the rules
coming in, not a single
one has been removed.
Britain has sought
return agreements but
there is little interestfrom other European
countries.What is France doing
to stop the boats
setting sail?
Patel has agreed two
multimillion-pound
deals with France to pay
for more surveillance of
the French coast. Britain
has also asked to
deploy joint Border
Force and French
patrols but this has
been rejected.
The French have
intercepted more than
18,000 attempted
crossings since the
original deal last
November, about four in
ten, which needs to be
put into the context of
guarding a 93-mile
coastline.What happens to
migrants who are
picked up landing in
small boats by the
British authorities?
The vast majority of
arrivals who are picked
up claim asylum on
arrival in the UK. Most
are provided with
housing in hostels, flats
and bed and breakfasts.
To claim
accommodation
support or benefits
asylum seekers must
register with the Home
Office and have their
application for leave to
remain processed. This
can take years, and only
when an application is
rejected might they be
detained.What about setting up
processing centres in
third countries?
The government is
looking to emulate the
approach taken by
Australia. Ministers
hope that it would make
the UK less attractive
and legislation going
through parliament will
give a legal basis for it,
but it would be costly,
controversial, and
potentially open to legal
challenge for breaching
the 1951 Refugee
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