Latest news with #smallboat
Daily Mail
5 minutes ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Small boat migrant 'gives step-by-step guide on how to cross the Channel' on TikTok from his four-star hotel - then urges others to 'risk their life and spend their money' on the illegal journey
An illegal migrant has shared a 'step-by-step guide' on how to cross the Channel on a small boat before telling others to 'spend their' money making the illegal journey. The man shared videos of his journey on TikTok, gaining nearly one million views, as he boasted about entering the UK illegally. Known as Alexandra420, he shared videos of himself on the small boat before live streaming in an asylum hotel. There, he told followers he was in 'the best place' while broadcasting from his free accommodation near Heathrow Airport. Alexandra left Calais at around 4am on Saturday, The Sun reported. He first shared a 13-second clip from the middle of the Channel, which showed a French lifeboat alonsgide which was also full of migrants making the dangerous crossing. In a second clip, he shared a video of himself grinning in an orange jacket and pointing to the sky. He then showed the boat as it was surrounded by huge freight ships, set to the theme tune of US drama Prison Break. It comes as the number of small-boat migrants reaching Britain under Labour passed 50,000. Keir Starmer was slammed for 'incompetence' over the handling of the Channel crisis, with the soaring figure a clear indication of the lack of a plan since he axed the Tories' Rwanda deportation scheme on his first day in power. Former Labour home secretary Jacqui Smith blamed the Tories, claiming: 'What is happening is the result of the last government.' Yesterday, Reform Leader Nigel Farage criticised the Prime Minister on social media. He wrote: 'As I predicted 5 years ago, unless we deport illegal migrants the invasion will be huge. 50,000 since our weak Prime Minister took office and there is no sign of it stopping.' Alexandra was one of more than 400 arrivals on Saturday and was taken in by Border Force officials to be processed in Kent. He was then taken to the four-star Crowne Plaza Hotel near Heathrow, where he started live streaming to his followers. In the stream, he gave viewers a tour of his room, with two single beds and an en suite bathroom. He said: 'This is dedicated to those haters who were happy thinking we either drowned or ended up dead.' Alexandra later claimed the boat he illegally travelled on began to deflate halfway through the journey and would have sank if Border Force officials had not rescued them. He said: 'It was dangerous. Our boat sank. It was punctured. The water came from the inside of the boat. 'On the other side, three people pumped the water. If the British boats hadn't come in an hour, we would have been in trouble.' Despite nearly facing serious danger, he encouraged others to pay the people-smugglers to risk the dangerous crossing. He said: 'I risked my life, I spent my money, I came. Your country is not your mother. 'Those who want to come, this is the best place. Don't be stingy. Your country is not your father, that you are so stingy. Live your life. 'Tell your four friends to come. Why are you so stingy? Being stingy is not good for God. You see, I risked my life! Why don't you come? My wish was to come to this hotel and live. I came here just for this.' He claimed that after being told about the risk of deportation, he told officials 'I will commit suicide. Alexandra finished his video by spinning on his chair and shouting 'welcome to London'. The Government's 'returns deal' with France appears to have done little to deter those determined to get to Britain, with the latest total including more than 1,500 arrivals in the seven days since the 'one in, one out' scheme launched. Official figures revealed there were 474 arrivals on Monday alone, bringing the total since the general election on July 4 last year to 50,271, despite the Prime Minister's promise to 'smash the gangs' behind the trafficking trade. The milestone was passed seven months earlier than under his Conservative predecessor, Rishi Sunak. Baroness Smith – who is now an education, women and equalities minister under Sir Keir – said: 'It is a completely legitimate claim to say that what is happening is the result of the last government that chose to focus on gimmicks with the Rwanda scheme.' Asked if the crossings were not Labour's fault, she insisted that the Government was taking responsibility now, but added: 'I don't believe it is our fault that it was enabled to take root in the way in which it has done by a government who failed to do what was necessary at that point. 'The last government enabled this hideous criminal activity to really get its roots into Europe. There was a lengthy period at the time in which the criminal gangs... behind this had the opportunity to have this operation set up and really embedded. 'And that's the task that this Government now has – to deconstruct that.' However, her attempt to evade responsibility was met with incredulity. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'The Government has confirmed 50,000 illegal immigrants have crossed the Channel in Labour's short time in power – the worst crisis in our history. 'Labour has surrendered our borders, and the consequences are being felt in our communities, from rising crime to shocking cases of rape and sexual assault by recent arrivals. Labour has scrapped Conservative deterrents and created the conditions for chaos, leaving the British people to foot the bill.' Labour scrapped the Tories' Rwanda asylum deal – designed to deter migrants from crossing – as one of its first acts, pledging instead to 'smash the gangs' by boosting law enforcement. However, small boat numbers are soaring, with 27,029 arrivals this year, up by 47 per cent on the same point last year and 67 per cent on the same point in 2023. Since the start of the crisis in 2018, 178,167 migrants have reached Britain, with only about four per cent of them removed. A Home Office spokesperson told The Sun it is unacceptable 'to promote the criminal services of people-traffickers or for social media companies to allow it'. The Home Office has been contacted for further comment.
The Independent
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
50,000 migrants have crossed Channel on small boats since Labour took power
More than 50,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel since Labour won the 2024 general election. Home Office figures show 474 migrants arrived by small boat on Monday alone. Labour former home secretary Baroness Smith of Malvern had said earlier on Tuesday that reaching the milestone is 'unacceptable'. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Labour's promise to 'smash the criminal boat gangs' in its manifesto last year was 'just a slogan', with crossings now 'so much worse' than they were before last year's vote. There have been 27,029 arrivals so far this year, which is 47% higher than at the same point of 2024 when the figure stood at 18,342, and 67% higher than at the same time in 2023 (16,170). Baroness Smith, who is now an education and women and equalities minister, warned: 'Criminal gangs have got an absolute foothold in the tragic trafficking of people across the Channel.' She told BBC Breakfast: 'It is an unacceptable number of people.' The minister also told Times Radio: 'We have taken a lot of important action already, but what we're facing is a criminal endeavour which has got long roots into the ground, I'm afraid, because it hasn't been tackled by the last government over recent years. 'That's why we need the action we've already taken to increase the speed with which we make asylum decisions, to remove more people from this country, the groundbreaking deal that we now have with the French, and we've already detained people who've come to the country.' Earlier this month, the Government began detaining migrants under a new 'one in, one out' deal with France. UK officials aim to make referrals for returns to France within three days of a migrant's arrival by small boat, while French authorities will respond within 14 days. An approved asylum seeker in France will be brought to the UK under a safe route as part of the exchange. Speaking on the Isle of Wight, Mrs Badenoch said: 'Labour's plan to smash the gangs was just a slogan. Things are so much worse since Labour came into office, they have no plans. 'Their one in, one out scheme isn't going to work, and what we're seeing is a lot of local communities having to pay the price and bear the brunt of the Government's incompetence.' Asked if the Conservatives could reduce the number of crossings from five figures to zero, Mrs Badenoch replied: 'I think that we can.' She added that 'it wouldn't happen straight away, but it would happen quickly'. Mrs Badenoch said: 'My team are now looking at what we can do in terms of detention centres, but stopping people from coming here in the first place – if they think they're going to be sent to Rwanda and not get here, get a free hotel, get benefits, then they won't come here.' Labour secured an election victory on July 5 last year, with 412 Commons seats, ending 14 years in government for the Conservatives, who won 121.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Number of small-boat migrants to reach Britain under Labour government is set to hit 50,000 - as 435 arrive on Saturday alone
The number of small-boat migrants who have reached Britain since Labour came to power is poised to hit 50,000. The Home Office confirmed 435 arrived on Saturday – bringing the total since the General Election to 49,516. Hundreds more arrived at Dover on Sunday, with official figures due to be released on Monday. It means more than 1,000 migrants have come to the UK since the Government's 'one in, one out' deal with France became operational last Wednesday. The 50,000 milestone is likely to be hit in the coming days amid ideal weather conditions for crossing the Channel. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'Labour cancelled the Rwanda deterrent plan before it started with no replacement and numbers have surged. 'This year so far has been the worst in history for illegal immigrants crossing the Channel. Labour has lost of control of our borders. Every illegal immigrant needs to be removed immediately upon arrival. But this government is too weak to do that.' On Sunday, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage posted a video which showed migrants chanting 'Allahu Akbar' as they apparently crossed the English Channel. He said: 'This is a national security emergency. Allowing these men to invade our country will not end well.' Last week, Mr Philp accused Sir Keir Starmer of 'gaslighting the British public' and making 'grossly exaggerated' claims over the new migrant deal. He said the returns agreement would see only 6 per cent of migrants sent back. The deal is also due to last just ten months. Speaking about the first detentions under the deal, the Prime Minister warned migrants: 'If you break the law to enter this country, you will face being sent back.' Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said 'every migrant' will be 'throwing away their money if they get into a small boat'. Since the start of this year, a record 26,274 migrants have arrived – up 49 per cent on the same period last year. Protests against illegal migrants continued across the country at the weekend. Demonstrators gathered outside hotels in Bristol and near Gatwick, West Sussex, which are being used to house asylum seekers. There was also a rally near two migrant hotels in Bournemouth. In a separate development, 13 migrants were rescued in northern France after locking themselves inside a refrigerated lorry heading for the UK on Saturday.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Moment small boat arrives at Gravelines beach to pick up migrants to take them illegally across to the UK - as the French do NOTHING
This is the moment a small boat arrived at Gravelines beach to pick up migrants to take them illegally across to the UK. The rubber vessel was pictured off the French coast, just east of Calais, this morning, before heading off into the English Channel. Passengers, which included men, women and children, loaded on to the boat, reaching out hands to help each other aboard. Some threw peace signs at the camera - while a handful of French police officers stood on the beach, watching on. It comes after the first small boat migrants were detained in Dover on Thursday for removal to France under the Government's new 'one in, one out' scheme. The Home Office confirmed the Channel arrivals were held after they were brought into Dover but did not disclose how many there were. Migrants selected for removal under the new Labour plan will be held in Home Office detention facilities rather than living in taxpayer-funded asylum hotels. But there has been widespread criticism of the scheme - from concerns human rights challenges and other legal action could delay migrants' removal for months, to scepticism over the plan's narrow scope. The images from today show the passengers gathering on the sand as they wait to be loaded on to a boat at sunrise. They soon wade into the water at around knee depth as they wait for boats to arrive. Many are carrying children, some of whom look no older than toddlers, with most of them wearing lifejackets ahead of the passage. The majority of people have no possessions with them, apart from one small bag in some cases. One pair is seen clasping hands, while another hugs tightly. They soon variously swim and wade out to the boat, with some climbing onboard before helping to lift others on to the craft. A boat is soon densely packed with passengers, with a row of young men seen sitting astride the edge of the vessel. After the first boat is loaded up, remaining passengers watch on as it embarks on its journey into the Channel. Most of the children wear lifejackets ahead of the passage (pictured) It appears to pass very close to another vessel, before receding into the distance. Two French gendarmerie vehicles can be seen on the sand, with a small group of officers standing stationery as the events unfold. One policeman appears to be looking at his phone. Today's small boat passage comes after Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp blasted Labour's 'one in, one out' scheme as a 'gimmick that just won't work'. He said: 'As far as we can see, removals under this scheme will only amount to six per cent of arrivals, meaning 94 per cent will stay. 'It will have no deterrent effect whatsoever. 'We also know that the agreement with France means any migrants claiming to be under 18, or who make a modern slavery or human rights claim, will not get removed. 'So this plan will get bogged down in an endless legal quagmire. Today's small boat passage (pictured) comes after Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp blasted Labour's 'one in, one out' scheme as a 'gimmick that just won't work' 'Just like Sir Keir Starmer's claim to "smash the gangs", this is another gimmick that just won't work.' Former Tory Cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said the Anglo-French deal - announced by Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron on July 10 and since approved by the European Commission - was a 'complete waste of time'. 'It's a fake. It's a phony, it's a cheat on the British people,' he said on GB News. 'It's a bogus deal, it's a complete waste of time. 'There's an extraordinary loophole that means almost no one can be deported.' Despite the narrow scope of the scheme and the fact it is likely to expire in less than 11 months, the PM has insisted on social media: 'If you break the law to enter this country, you will face being sent back.' He added: 'No gimmicks, just results.' Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has previously said: 'Yesterday, under the terms of this groundbreaking new treaty, the first group of people to cross the Channel were detained after their arrival at Western Jet Foil [at Dover port] and will now be held in detention until they can be returned to France. 'That sends a message to every migrant currently thinking of paying organised crime gangs to go to the UK that they will be risking their lives and throwing away their money if they get into a small boat. 'No-one should be making this illegal and dangerous journey that undermines our border security and lines the pockets of the criminal gangs.' She added: 'Criminal gangs have spent seven years embedding themselves along our border and it will take time to unravel them, but these detentions are an important step towards undermining their business model and unravelling the false promises they make. 'These are the early days for this pilot scheme, and it will develop over time. 'But we are on track to do what no other government has done since this crisis first started - sending small boat arrivals back to France and strengthening our borders through the Plan for Change.' As part of the treaty, Britain will accept migrants from France in exchange for small boat arrivals. That element of the scheme also began on Thursday, allowing migrants to lodge 'expressions of interest' on a specially-created Home Office website. It comes after a Cabinet minister appeared to contradict the terms of the new treaty with France earlier this week. Despite the narrow scope of the scheme and the fact it is likely to expire in less than 11 months, the PM has insisted on social media (pictured): 'If you break the law to enter this country, you will face being sent back' Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (pictured) has previously said: 'Yesterday, under the terms of this groundbreaking new treaty, the first group of people to cross the Channel were detained after their arrival at Western Jet Foil [at Dover port]' Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said small boat migrants sent back under the deal would see their human rights claims heard after being sent back to France. But it later emerged some types of human rights cases would, in fact, block the Home Office from being able to remove migrants in the first place. The treaty clearly sets out small boat migrants cannot be sent back to France if they have 'an outstanding human rights claim'. The Home Office confirmed some human rights claims will block migrants' removal until they have been concluded in full. It will include cases which cannot be formally 'certified' by officials as 'clearly unfounded'. The Mail has learned pro-migrant groups have begun informal discussions about launching a joint legal action against Labour's plan – just as they did against the Tories' Rwanda asylum scheme. Sources said there had already been 'a certain amount of co-ordination' between charities and other groups, with details of the treaty still being analysed. Meanwhile, the Free Movement website, which offers advice to immigration lawyers, published an analysis of the new measures earlier this week. The treaty clearly sets out small boat migrants cannot be sent back to France if they have 'an outstanding human rights claim'. Pictured: Passengers waiting for a boat at Gravelines beach today It said: 'Legal challenges will be more difficult than for Rwanda, however there are still likely to be grounds on which some people can resist removal to France. 'For example, if the inadmissibility decision was wrong, if people have family in the UK, or had experiences in France which make it inappropriate to send them back.' It means the Home Secretary is likely to face a huge legal battle to get the first migrants removed from Britain. Last month, the PM pledged migrants would be 'detained and returned to France in short order' under the agreement. But on Wednesday – the first day it was in force – Shadow Home Secretary Mr Philp posted videos from the Channel as he watched migrant boats bound for the UK coast, escorted by a French vessel.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
So much for a deterrent! Hundreds more Channel crossings pushes total migrant arrivals since Labour's 'one in one out' deal with France past 400
More than 400 small boat migrants have arrived in the first two days of Labour's returns deal, dashing claims it would be a 'new deterrent'. The Home Office confirmed 248 migrants were picked up in the Channel yesterday and brought into Dover. It followed 155 arrivals on Wednesday – the first operational day of the new Anglo-French treaty. The Government has refused to disclose how many migrants are being detained for removal to France. The scheme is also highly likely to face long-running legal challenges. Yesterday Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was accused of 'gaslighting the British public' after he made 'grossly exaggerated' claims over the new deal. He took to social media to claim: 'If you break the law to enter this country, you will face being sent back.' Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also appeared to overstate the likely impact of her scheme, claiming that 'every migrant' will be 'throwing away their money if they get into a small boat'. In reality, the pilot scheme is only expected to return a tiny percentage of migrants. It will also expire in just 10 months' time, with any renewal then in doubt as the next French presidential election campaign will, by then, be gathering pace. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'The PM is gaslighting the British public. 'His tweet is a gross exaggeration of what this paltry scheme will do.' The number of migrants to have reached Britain since the start of the year now stands at 25,839, 46 per cent higher than at the same point last year. Last month Downing Street said the British and French governments had agreed a 'new deterrent' was required to combat small boats, leading to the signing of the treaty. Sir Keir then pledged migrants would be 'detained and returned to France in short order'. Migrants selected for removal will be held in Home Office detention facilities rather than being sent to live in taxpayer-funded asylum hotels. But it has emerged that three large hotels are being used to hold migrants at one of Britain's busiest seaside resorts. The properties, all within walking distance of Bournemouth seafront, have been closed to the public for more than a year after being taken over by the Home Office, the Sun reported. One holidaymaker who paid £1,400 for a week at the resort with her daughter said she was 'cross' that migrants were being housed there at the taxpayers' expense.
