French authorities criticised as daily migrant arrivals top 1,000
Defence Secretary John Healey has criticised the French authorities for failing to intervene as small boats carrying migrants left beaches near Calais.
More than 1,000 people crossed the English Channel in small boats on Saturday, with French police reportedly watching as migrants boarded near Calais and Dunkirk.
Healey described the scenes as "shocking" and stated that Britain has "lost control of its borders" over the last five years.
Ministers are reportedly pressing the French government to implement an agreement allowing them to intercept the boats, not just prevent departures from the shore.
A total of 1,194 people made the journey in 18 boats on Saturday, bringing the year's provisional total to 14,811, a 42 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
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