Report by Independent Chief Inspector of Borders on Home Office response to cross-Channel irregular arrivals by lorry and small boat

November 12, 2020

Commenting, Alp Mehmet, Chairman of Migration Watch UK, said:

This devastating report underlines what Migration Watch UK has long pointed to, the crumbling state of immigration enforcement.

While politicians talked tough, the actions that followed have been pitifully weak.

The Channel crisis is symptomatic of an inadequate response and monumental failure to deal with the problem.

The Chief Inspector is to be congratulated for shining a light on this woeful state of affairs.

Note to Editors

The Chief Inspector's report says: "Overall, up until March 2020, there were no signs of the threat of clandestine entry reducing and recent evidence pointed in the other direction. While the Home Office had shown some agility in marshalling and reprioritising resources in response, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that it has neither the capacity nor the capabilities, in particular in respect of criminal investigation and prosecution, required to manage this threat more effectively."