An ex-Immigration Minister has launched a scathing attack on French authorities following revelations that a violent criminal orchestrated a people-smuggling network from inside a French prison cell.
Speaking to GB News, Kevin Foster expressed disbelief at the situation, stating: "If it wasn't such a serious outcome, you'd literally be laughing at the idea of a prisoner sat in a French jail cell."
Sarwar Omar, 32, managed to coordinate a significant migrant boat crossing operation targeting Britain whilst behind bars in France, court proceedings have revealed this week.
The Iraqi people smuggler orchestrated the criminal enterprise from his prison cell, despite already serving a 14-year sentence for a violent offence involving weapons that led to someone's death.
Omar carried out his illicit smuggling activities for a period of up to 17 months from within the prison walls.
During this time, he is believed to have earned millions of pounds by facilitating the passage of migrants across the Channel to the United Kingdom.
Discussing the case on GB News, the former minister raised serious concerns about oversight failures across the Channel, questioning what else might be possible within French detention facilities if running an illegal smuggling operation proved achievable from behind bars.
Mr Foster described him as "a dangerous, violent criminal" who managed to operate his illicit enterprise whilst incarcerated.
Kevin Foster has expressed his outrage at a people smuggler being able to run small-boat crossings operation from a French prison
|GB NEWS / PA
"You think you've heard it all on this issue and then something like this comes to light," Mr Foster remarked.
Mr Foster highlighted the substantial financial investment Britain has made in tackling the crisis, noting that the UK handed over £500million to France during the previous year.
Despite this considerable sum, approximately 41,000 migrants successfully made the journey across the Channel in that period, with around 2,600 arrivals recorded already this year despite unfavourable weather conditions.
The former minister was equally dismissive of the Government's £10,000 voluntary return scheme, comparing it to "a sort of raffle or a competition where if you don't win the main prize you get £10,000 instead for your trip home."
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Sarwar Omar orchestrated the criminal enterprise from his prison cell
| GETTYHe insisted such payments would fail to discourage anyone from attempting the crossing.
Mr Foster argued that the central dilemma facing policymakers remains unchanged: determining what happens to individuals the UK wishes to remove but cannot return to either France or their country of origin.
He pointed out the limitations of current proposals, noting that while the Government may pledge to remove asylum seekers who commit crimes from hotel accommodation, the question of what follows remains unanswered.
"Because if they promise to go home, well, you can't believe that, they're a convicted criminal," he stated.
Mr Foster told GB News that Shabana Mahmood's latest policies 'will not deter' illegal migrants
|GB NEWS
The former minister maintained that third country agreements represent the only viable solution to this fundamental challenge.
Quizzed by GB News on her latest policies, Ms Mahmood told the People's Channel she is "cracking on" with securing Britain's borders.
She said: "I've been in the job for just over six months, it does feel a bit longer than that, but we made these announcements in November. We're cracking on with implementation. We're only just into March, we'll keep going.
"We will have primary legislation as well as secondary legislation and rule changes in the normal way for immigration rules that happen automatically twice a year, so we're cracking on with making the changes.
"I'd say to your viewers and others who are watching, judge us by our record and what we actually deliver."