Labour minister tells GB News ‘Britain lost control of its borders five years ago’ as over 1,000 migrants cross Channel in one day

Healey criticised the previous Conservative government, telling GB News: "Britain lost control of its borders five or six years ago. When the Tories left office and left government last year, they left the asylum system in chaos."

He described smugglers operating "like a taxi" service in shallow waters to collect migrants.

More than 1,000 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats on Saturday, marking the highest daily total of 2025. The surge forced British and French rescue services to deploy 11 vessels and two aircraft to manage the crisis.

At least 18 boats launched from the French coast, surpassing the previous 2025 record of 825 arrivals set earlier this month. The crossings mean more than 14,600 people have made the journey so far this year, representing a rise of over 30 per cent compared with the same point in 2024.

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This figure marks the highest total for the first five months of any year since small boat crossings began in 2018.

Healey defended Labour's decision to scrap the Rwanda scheme, calling it "a failed scheme" that cost "£700 million of taxpayers' money" with "just four volunteers".

He said: "It was hugely expensive. It wasn't working. We scrapped it, and we've been able to use that money to clamp down on those people who should not be in this country."

The Defence Secretary highlighted new cooperation with France, stating: "We've got to a stage now which the previous government just didn't get to where we've got the cooperation of the French in a new relationship in place."

He said France has agreed to intervene in shallow waters as part of efforts to dismantle smuggling gangs.

The Home Office outlined a comprehensive strategy to tackle people-smuggling networks. A spokesman said: "We will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.

"That is why this Government has put together a serious plan to take down these networks at every stage."

The plan includes international intelligence sharing under the Border Security Command, enhanced enforcement operations in northern France, and tougher legislation through the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.

France is planning to restore the offence of "illegal stay", allowing police to arrest migrants and smugglers before crossing attempts.

Germany has pledged to criminalise facilitating people-smuggling to the UK, which is currently not technically illegal.