More than 400 migrants stormed the Channel by small boat in just two days after the Labour government’s new returns deal with France kicked off. This bombshell casts serious doubt over Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s promise of a “new deterrent” to stop illegal crossings.
Migrants Flood Dover Despite New Treaty
Home Office data reveals 248 migrants were hauled ashore at Dover by UK Border Force vessels on Thursday alone. That’s on top of 155 arrivals recorded the very day the Anglo-French deal came into force—Wednesday. The two-day total: a staggering 403 people making the perilous journey.
No Clear Numbers on Returns or Detentions
Downing Street and the Home Office have kept it hush-hush on exactly how many of those arriving are held or sent back. Although official snaps show the first batch of returnees wearing purple tabards, the total number detained for removal remains a well-guarded secret. Legal experts suggest the scheme’s effectiveness is far from proven.
Holiday Hotels Shut, Now Housing Migrants
The government insists returnees will be kept in purpose-built detention centres. But in Bournemouth, three once-glamorous seaside hotels have been closed to tourists for over a year and repurposed for migrant accommodation. One angry holidaymaker, who spent £1,400 on her family trip, told reporters she was “cross” that taxpayer cash was funding these seafront properties housing migrants instead of tourists.
Ministers’ Tough Talk Faces Backlash
“If you break the law to enter this country, you will face being sent back,”
Sir Keir Starmer announced boldly on social media. Meanwhile, Home Secretary has warned migrants will be “throwing away their money” trying to cross the Channel. But some legal experts warn those claims could hit the courtroom. Insiders admit the real number of returns to France will be just a “fraction” of arrivals, undercutting ministers’ hardline rhetoric.
