The Ministry of Defence have confirmed that a Royal Navy patrol ship has been sent to the English Channel to deter migrant crossings.
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said the HMS Mersey would “help prevent migrants from making the dangerous journey”.
The UK Border Force and French authorities are already patrolling the water but yesterday the Home Office requested the navy to be sent in to help. Around 240 people have reached the UK in small boats since November.
Mr Williamson said HMS Mersey had been diverted from routine operations to the Strait of Dover. HMS Mersey is normally used to carry out fishing patrols in UK waters and the Atlantic ensuring boats and trawlers stick to internationally-agreed quotas.
Border Force currently have two coastal patrol vessels in the Channel as well as two cutters, HMC Vigilant and HMC Searcher. Both can rescue several boatloads of people at once.
The Royal Navy’s involvement was requested by Home Secretary Sajid Javid who said it would be a temporary measure until two more Border Force Cutters (HMC Protector and Seeker) are deployed from the Mediterranean to UK waters.
Mr Javid said: My focus continues to be on protecting the UK border and preventing loss of life in the Channel. For these reasons, the government has decided to deploy a navy vessel, HMS Mersey, to support our existing efforts.”
239 people are known to have made it to the UK on small boats since November including the 12 who were found off the Kent coast last week. They were all found by authorities. On Tuesday French police said they had stopped 14 migrants attempting to cross the channel from Boulogne. There have been children among those who have been found making the dangerous journey.
The 12 migrants were found on December 31st near Kent. Two people were arrested on suspicion of arranging the illegal movement of migrants across the England Channel, the pair were arrested in Manchester. The 12 migrants were first spotted at 03:00 GMT and HM Coastguards received reports about the dinghy containing people that were Iranian.
Sajid Javid was faced with criticism after questioning whether the people risking their lives by crossing were ‘genuine’ refugees.
Mr Javid said: “People should not be taking this very dangerous journey and, if they do, we also need to send a very strong message that you won’t succeed.
“‘You are coming from France, which is a safe country. In almost every case you are claiming asylum in the UK but if you were a real, genuine asylum seeker then you could have done that in another safe country’.”
