GB News interrupted its regular programming for a breaking news announcement about the UK migrant crisis. Presenters Stephen Dixon and Ellie Costello reported that the largest ever 'mega-dinghy' has arrived in the UK carrying 165 illegal migrants.
The news is a significant setback for new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who has yet to outline a concrete plan for addressing the rising number of migrant arrivals.
Context and Reaction
The Critic's Tom Jones commented: "Obviously, it's difficult to know because Andy Burnham has said so far so little about what he's planning to do in government. I think it's worth putting this into context. The previous record was set just last week. That was 128 people. One of the great changes that we've seen in channel crossings this year is a real material change in the size of the boats. They have got a lot, a lot larger this year."
Jones also revealed a new tactic by smugglers, who have started departing from Belgium to avoid log-jammed French coasts. "They've also started setting sail from Belgium simply because basically the coasts in France are basically log-jammed. So they are now setting out from Belgium, moving down and making the short crossing from Dover to Calais. But fundamentally, you know, we've forgotten about the smash the gang strategy because the spotlight has swung off it as we started talking about Shabhana Mahmood immigration reforms."
Strategy Concerns
Costello asked: "Is this what the human trafficking gangs are going to exploit now, these so-called mega dinghies? Obviously, for them it's more efficient, isn't it? Getting more people onto one boat."
Jones replied: "That was a whole strategy. Yeah. Well, I think the smash the gang strategy, I think, was an attempt to make this a problem of organised crime and blame the people smugglers alone in order to basically pass some reforms that they could get past the labour backbenches, rather than addressing the actual pull factors that are bringing people here, which is frankly an overly generous settlement."
