London – Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday slammed a recent wave of illegal migrant crossings across the English Channel as “stupid and dangerous and criminal.”
“There’s no doubt that it would be helpful if we could work with our French friends to stop them [migrants] getting over the Channel,” Johnson said during a visit to Upminister.
On Thursday, Britain’s Press Association (PA) news agency, which regularly tracks such crossings, reported that a new daily high of no fewer than 235 people reached Britain on 17 small boats.
The agency noted that there were more crossings at the weekend.
Johnson added the need to “look at the legal framework” for migrants who have arrived illegally in Britain.
“When people do get here, it is very, very difficult to then send them away again even though blatantly they’ve come here illegally,’’ the prime minister said.
Members of Johnson’s cabinet have mooted the idea of deploying the Royal Navy as part of measures to stop the flow.
The feasibility was, however, questioned by French politician Pierre-Henri Dumont in the port city of Calais.
Dumont told the BBC that French authorities were already trying to do “whatever we can” to intercept the crossings.
“Britain’s Home Secretary Priti Patel travelled on Monday to Dover to review the situation, while the Royal Air Force (RAF) deployed a plane to survey the English Channel,’’ PA reported.
Over 4,000 migrants have reached Britain’s shores from France this year after crossing the busy shipping lane.
Immigration Minister Chris Philp was expected to visit France on Tuesday for talks.
(dpa/NAN)
