(BBC) Priti Patel’s “incompetence” in dealing with small boats crossing the Channel is “dangerous,” Labour has said.
More than 24,700 people have made the crossing from France to the UK by boat so far this year to seek asylum or to immigrate — almost three times the total of 8,500 in 2020.
Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds accused the government of “comprehensive failure” on the issue.
But ex-Home Secretary Sajid Javid said his successor was doing all she could.
He also questioned why people were making the dangerous journey, telling the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme: “You have to ask the question, if you are a genuine asylum seeker, why have you not claimed asylum already if you’re in a safe country [like France]?”
