Home Secretary Sajid Javid has come under fire after questioning whether people crossing the English Channel in small boats are "genuine" refugees. During a visit to Dover, he defended his decision to declare a major incident and redeploy patrol vessels from the Mediterranean.
Mr Javid suggested that those seeking asylum in the UK should have done so in France or elsewhere in Europe. He said he wanted to send a "strong message" that economic migrants would not be allowed to illegally settle in the UK, adding that people smugglers and criminal gangs were exploiting them.
Opposition MPs and campaigners described the comments as "deeply concerning". The Refugee Council said asylum applications must be processed on their individual merit, regardless of how a person reached the country. Labour MP Stella Creasy accused Mr Javid of "normalising anti-refugee rhetoric", while the Liberal Democrats called the language "completely unacceptable".
Since November, 239 people have reached the UK by boat. French police stopped 14 migrants attempting to cross from Boulogne on Tuesday. Mr Javid has ordered two Border Force boats to be redeployed from the Mediterranean to patrol the Channel, as part of a joint action plan with France.
