Furious Chris Philp Blasts French Police, Revealing the Simple Thing He Says They Should Have Done to Stop Illegal Boat Migrants From Reaching the UK

French police could have easily stopped a huge boat carrying 230 migrants before it left the French coast, according to Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp.

The warning came after a record-breaking Channel crossing on Monday, when 230 people travelled to Britain in one large inflatable boat. The number of people on board was greater than the passenger capacity of some Boeing 737 aircraft, while the vessel itself was reported to be longer than a London bus.

The crossing has raised fresh concerns about the growing size of the boats being used by people-smuggling gangs.

Jean-Marc Lamblin, director of the SNSM, France’s sea rescue organisation, said rescuers have noticed increasingly large boats being used during the past few months.

He said they are now regularly seeing boats around 15 metres long. Previous vessels had already carried around 150 people, but the latest crossing showed that even larger numbers could be packed onto a single boat.

Lamblin said it now appears there may be “no limit” to how many people smugglers are prepared to put on these vessels.

The boat reportedly started its journey from the area around Berck-sur-Mer, more than 40 miles south of Calais and over 90 miles from Dover. French rescue vessels were reportedly involved before the migrants eventually entered British waters.

Chris Philp strongly criticised the French authorities over what happened.

He argued that a boat of such a large size should have been stopped while it was still in shallow water near the French coast.

Philp said he had previously visited northern France and personally witnessed French police standing nearby while migrants entered boats in water that was only around knee-deep.

He also criticised the large amount of British taxpayers’ money being given to France as part of efforts to stop Channel crossings.

The UK has committed hundreds of millions of pounds towards cooperation with France on migration and border enforcement. Critics say Britain should be seeing stronger results in return, while the Government says joint operations have prevented thousands of attempted crossings.

The latest incident has also brought attention to the increasing number of people being placed on each boat.

Only a few years ago, the average number of passengers on small boats was much lower. Smuggling gangs are now using much larger inflatable vessels capable of carrying dozens or even more than 100 people at once.

The financial rewards for the gangs can also be enormous. Migrants are often reported to pay thousands of pounds each for a journey across the Channel. If around 230 people paid approximately £2,000 each, a single crossing could potentially bring smugglers hundreds of thousands of pounds before their costs are taken into account.

Downing Street said the incident showed how ruthless people-smuggling gangs are willing to put people’s lives at risk in order to make money.

The Government says its latest agreement with France is designed to stop more boats before they reach British waters. The Prime Minister’s spokesman said tens of thousands of attempted crossings have been prevented since the election and insisted ministers are continuing to work on reducing the numbers.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has also criticised the continuing crossings. He acknowledged that numbers have fallen in some comparisons but said they remain extremely high.

Attention is also being placed on where the large inflatable boats come from.

Many of the so-called “mega-dinghies” are believed to be manufactured outside Europe before being transported through countries including Turkey and Bulgaria. Smuggling networks can then move the boats to storage locations in Europe before transporting them towards the northern French coast.

The Home Office has previously identified Chinese online suppliers as one source of boats and components and has worked with Chinese authorities in an effort to disrupt the supply chain.

However, National Crime Agency sources have indicated that China is likely to be only one of several countries where equipment used by smugglers can originate.

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has also argued that Britain could learn from Australia’s approach to stopping unauthorised boat arrivals.

Abbott said Australian authorities intercepted boats and prevented passengers from reaching Australia, arguing that people would eventually stop paying smugglers if they knew the journey would not result in them reaching their intended destination.

He acknowledged that adopting a similar approach in the English Channel would create serious disagreements with France.

The arrival of 230 people on one vessel has nevertheless added new pressure to the debate over Channel crossings. Critics are asking how such a large boat was able to leave the French coast without being stopped, while the British Government insists that cooperation with France and action against smuggling gangs remain central to its strategy.