As another record-breaking number of migrants arrived in Dover, immigration expert Mike Jones laid it out bluntly on GB News — the crisis in the Channel isn’t going away without some tough decisions.
A staggering 669 people reached UK shores in small boats today, smashing the previous high of 656 just days earlier. And it’s not slowing down — reports say another overcrowded vessel with around 70 people was still on its way across the water, reported GB News.
Presenter Martin Daubney didn’t hold back, saying the whole thing now “feels like a taxi service.” Jones agreed — but explained that under international law, it pretty much is.
“That’s the UN convention of the laws of the sea,” he said. “Boats have to operate like a taxi service. There’s no way around that unless you withdraw from certain international conventions.”
Jones made it clear the only real alternative is chilling: if the UK stopped helping struggling boats, it could be accused of involuntary manslaughter. But he says there is a way to stop the crossings — and it’s simple.
“If you detain and deport people once they arrive, you create a deterrent effect, and people stop crossing the English Channel,” he explained. “Unless we have that, then more and more records are going to be broken.”
Jones also raised the alarm over a grim new trend — the sheer number of people crammed onto each boat. “They’re packed into boats like sardines,” he said. “It’s just a matter of time before we have another catastrophic event.”
According to Jones, the increased pressure from French authorities in Calais has made smugglers more ruthless. With fewer chances to launch, gangs are cramming as many people as possible onto each boat to maximise profit — pushing safety to the bottom of the list.
Even poor weather hasn’t slowed the crossings. Border Force teams and French patrols are stretched thin as boats keep coming, despite heavy rain and choppy conditions.
It’s all a major headache for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who promised to “smash the gangs” behind the crossings. But with numbers hitting new highs, critics are already saying his plan is falling flat.
One senior maritime security source didn’t mince words: “This is an absolute disaster for Labour’s border security policies. The only records being smashed are the crossing numbers — not the gangs.”
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