Minister says Government ‘straining at the bit’ to control migration

A Cabinet minister has said the Government is “straining at the bit” to get the “migration crisis” under control as deportations to France are expected to start next week under the returns agreement.

The “one in, one out” agreement with Paris saw the first migrants detained on August 6 and it is understood the first flight could be as early as Monday.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who has been tasked with ramping up the UK’s response to small boat crossings, said this week she expected the returns to begin “imminently”.

Asked about what he knew about returns flights being due to start in the coming week, Peter Kyle told Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “What we know about that is that we are straining at the bit to get a grip on the migration crisis that we inherited from the Conservatives, where their free entry into the UK experiment left us with a disastrous inheritance.

“So we’ve been straining at the bit, we’ve been doing everything we can.

“The lesson is that by cooperating with our partners, France, rather than rowing with them, we are able to deliver, so I hope the flights will start as quickly as possible.”

The number of migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the English Channel has topped 30,000 for the year so far.

It is the earliest point in a calendar year at which the 30,000 mark has been passed since data on the crossings was first reported in 2018.

The “one in, one out” pilot scheme has been agreed for the UK to send back to France migrants who have crossed the Channel, in exchange for those who apply and are approved to come to the UK.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Under the new UK-France treaty, people crossing in small boats can now be detained and removed to France.

“We expect the first returns to take place imminently.

“Protecting the UK border is our top priority.

“We will do whatever it takes to restore order to secure our borders.”