A HUGE row has erupted over the best way to tackle the small boats crisis — as new PM Andy Burnham slipped away on holiday.
traded blows with the French and the Tories over its plans for the biggest military operation since World War Two to stop
Burnham offered no specific plan to bring back control of Britain’s borders during a visit to Dover Credit: AP
A row has now erupted over the best way to tackle the small boats crisis Credit: Chris Eades
France reacted angrily, while the Tories insisted was not properly funded nor worked out.
But, despite there being 2,000 small boat arrivals since , Mr Burnham stepped away.
He is taking a break from his day-to-day duties to spend time with his family from today.
No10 has not said where Mr is going for his break. But Reform said it showed he was not a PM who was “serious about leading”.
Mr Farage’s party — which has been dogged by funding rows in recent weeks — tried to get back on the front foot on migration.
The Reform leader insisted his controversial return and rescue plans would mean “no more boats” heading to Britain within a fortnight if he won power.
But France hit back, saying any such moves would violate its sovereignty and international .
Mr Farage’s intervention came as a YouGov survey found only French authorities are making a genuine effort to help stop migrants, while 62 per cent say they are not.
French Gendarmerie watch on as a crowded small boat launches in France Credit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers Ltd
Tories have insisted Nigel Farage’s idea to deploy the Royal Marines was not properly funded nor worked out Credit: Alamy
Reform made its Operation Fortress proposals after figures showed 14,000 migrants have crossed this year, including 2,000 since Mr Burnham came to power.
Mr Farage said: “Under a government, within a fortnight, there would be no more boats.
“And, whilst this issue may not be uppermost in the minds of many in Westminster, I can tell you out in the country it is.
“And that comes down to a simple point — fairness. What is fair, what is right, what is wrong.”
He added: “If the is not there to protect this country from invasion, then, frankly, I can’t see what its purpose is.”
But a spokesperson for the French interior ministry said: “This would be a violation of French sovereignty as well as a violation of maritime and international law.
“Separately, as part of the measures put in place with the UK and the arrangements deployed at local level, the interior ministry states that the number of crossings is down in 2026.”
The illegal migration debate has become a major international concern in recent days, as more than in a single day.
More than 200,000 migrants have landed on Britain’s shores over the past eight years.
Britain is giving £1billion to France to help reduce Channel crossings by paying for more officers to patrol the beaches as well as for more and helicopters.
Mr Farage compared his proposals to ex-Australian PM Tony Abbott’s in 2013, when he clamped down on border crossings and pulled illegal migrants back to Indonesia.
The Reform leader said his plans complied with international laws and were humane.
Mr Farage warned many of the small boat migrants “wish us harm or do us harm”.
He also complained that the European Convention on was preventing deporting such people and reaffirmed his party’s commitment to leaving it.
He said: “Operation Fortress will be a combined military operation.
“It will save lives, it will help the French in fulfilling their job of stopping the boats and it will save a huge amount of money.
“We are very confident that our policy of securely picking people up and safely taking them back to France falls within other conventions of international law.”
Mr Farage said there were “very big upsides” to co-operating with the Reform plan, saying “life is now hell” for many in France affected by the migrant route.
He said: “People stay locked in their houses, you can’t resell a house, there’s , there’s litter, there’s vandalism, there’s gang violence, there are stabbings, there are .
“Dealing with this problem would be a great, great relief to the people of northern France.”
Burnham speaks with John Craig, Interim Chief Coastguard (right), and Duncan Capps, Border Security Commander (left) near a recovered small boat Credit: AP
Tory Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has slammed Reform’s plans to tackle the small boats crisis Credit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers Ltd
But , Tory Shadow Home Secretary, said: “Reform UK have no detailed plan nor funding to back up their latest gimmick.
“They can’t explain how they will properly fund the military and how they would disembark illegal immigrants in France without French cooperation.”
Mr Burnham offered no specific plan to bring back control of Britain’s borders during a visit to Dover on Sunday.
Downing Street claimed that when the Navy was deployed in 2022, there was no reduction in small boat crossings.
It added: “The Royal Navy is already tackling many threats, including monitoring any Russian warships operating near our shores, protecting our waters and our critical national infrastructure.”
Labour says illegal crossings are down by almost 50 per cent from last year. It added that almost 60 per cent of attempted crossings have been stopped since this Government came to power.
But hostile actors including the Iranians are continuing to exploit this method of UK entry and use it as a way of funnelling extremists here, recent reports suggest.
Meanwhile, Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh told LBC Radio that safe and legal routes to deal with the migrant crisis would be opened later this year.
It is understood the PM will stay in direct contact with officials during his break.
He is to return to a summer tour of the UK towards the end of August.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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