There are currently 3,000 migrants waiting on the coast of Calais and there are THREE fundamental reasons why Starmer has no chance of stopping them

More than 8,000 migrants have crossed the Channel since Labour came to power two months ago.

Yesterday, another 317 people crossed the border, despite a tragedy off the northern coast of France that left at least 12 people, believed to be Eritreans, dead.

And the souls who perished at sea have not prevented new attempts to cross the sea today, with GB News reporting this morning that two boats entered British waters carrying 16 and 50 migrants respectively.

Today we saw more of the shocking scenes that led to small boat tragedies on the water, with an overloaded vessel being swamped by even more migrants rushing into the water to board the people-smuggling vessel.

A group of people believed to be migrants are taken to Dover, Kent.

The French political response is that the whole crisis is Britain’s fault, says Charlie Peters

Before Tuesday’s incident, 30 people had died crossing the Channel in 2024, the highest number since 2021, when 45 deaths were recorded, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration.

If the disturbing scenes we saw on the northern coast of France continue, the number of fatalities will continue to rise.

The French authorities have a large number of manpower, buggies, special night vision equipment and UAVs at their disposal to patrol the coastline and detect people trying to hide in the dunes.

The British taxpayer partly funds this Gendarmerie operation, but the multi-billion dollar people smuggling industry always finds a way to adapt and overcome the problem.

It’s one thing to disrupt them, but it’s virtually impossible to completely block the gangs without taking away Britain’s bounty.

GB News sources reported this morning that around 3,000 migrants are waiting along the coast, a departure from standard procedure for preparing for their crossing further inland.

And the organised criminal gangs that deal with people smuggling are ready to meet their demand. They are opening up locations further along the coastline, usually building custom-made boats, with which they can disrupt French investigation efforts.

They increasingly prepare their operations in canals, suddenly appearing at sea to escape French attempts to capture boats hidden in the dunes.

But the French political response is increasingly to blame this whole crisis on Britain.

Home Secretary Gerald Darmanin last night referred to Britain’s loosely regulated labour market, which he said attracts young men from Eritrea, Sudan, Iran, Iraq and other less prosperous parts of the world.

In Britain, says Gerald, migrants find a safe haven where they can work regardless of their right to work.

He reiterated his call for a new migrant treaty between Britain and the EU, echoing a call by activists for “safe and legal routes” to the UK.

There is, in a sense, much truth in Mr Darmanin’s statements.

Britain has a relatively lenient approach to illegal migration.

Just looking at the state’s capacity, the number of detention beds has fallen from 4,000 to about 2,500 in the last ten years. At that time, such facilities would certainly have been useful.

And there is plenty of gig economy “black market” work available for asylum seekers, who technically don’t have access to it.

But Tony Smith, the former director general of Britain’s Border Force, told me this morning that it is “a bit of a stretch” for the French to blame Britain when there are so many solvable failures on the horizon.

Add to lightbox Migrant Channel Crossing Incidents A group of people believed to be migrants are taken to Dover, Kent

More than 8,000 migrants have crossed the Channel since Labour came to power two months ago

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“These are organised criminal gangs operating under their noses in Calais. The migrants are staying illegally in France and yet no enforcement measures are taken.

“Any drowning in their waters is absolutely their responsibility, not ours. Yes, of course we have to look at the underlying pull factors — but the fact is that the migrants are safe in France and can claim protection there if they need it.

“They do have a choice, but by choosing the boats they are not only supporting the smugglers’ business model, but they are also putting their own lives and those of their children at risk.

“The answer is that anyone found in an unsafe boat in the English Channel should be rescued and brought back to France immediately. It is the French government that has refused to agree to this, not us,” he said.

Strong words, clearly stated. I would like to see Mr Darmanin answer a question or two from Tony at his next press conference.

And Tony’s expertise goes to the heart of this crisis: people will continue to take the risk of crossing the border as long as there is an attraction, no deterrent measures and no one threatening to turn them back.

Even if Britain were to solve the ‘Deliveroo visa’ problem, thousands of people would still attempt the journey every year.