Another 120 migrants were intercepted by Border Force agents in the Channel yesterday as ministers prepared new measures to stop abuses of the asylum system.
The Home Office is preparing for a fight with lobby groups over plans to limit the opportunity for applicants to make multiple claims to prolong proceedings and thwart removals. Ministers are braced for the surge in crossings to continue as people smugglers take advantage of good weather.
Since 2015 the UK has given £114 million to France to bolster security at Channel ports and along beaches, but it is demanding that Paris take more action to tackle the crisis.
Priti Patel, the home secretary, is working on a “fair borders bill” due to be introduced this year, according to Whitehall
