Robert Jenrick has taken aim at French President Emmanuel Macron and claimed that France possesses the power to end Channel crossings as soon as tomorrow.
The Shadow Justice Secretary told GB News: "If they wanted, they could stop the small boats, frankly, tomorrow, if they got their gendarmes out on the beaches, into the shallow waters, turning back the boats, as some of our other neighbours do, like the Belgians, for example."
On the first day of his three-day state visit to the UK, the French President declared both the UK and France have a "shared responsibility" to address "irregular migration".
Speaking in the Palace of Westminster, Macron told MPs and peers: "In this unstable world, hope for a better life elsewhere is legitimate. But we cannot allow our countries' rules for taking in people to be flouted and criminal networks to cynically exploit the hopes of so many individuals with so little respect for human life.
Robert Jenrick has declared that Emmanuel Macron could stop Channel crossings 'tomorrow' if he wanted to
GB News
However, Jenrick emphasised the necessity for Britain to establish its own immigration control measures rather than depending on French cooperation.
"I don't think we should just be leaving this to the kindness of strangers. We've got to have our own sovereign deterrent," the Shadow Justice Secretary stated.
The former Immigration Minister advocated for a straightforward system where illegal arrivals face immediate consequences.
"If you come here illegally, you're detained and you're deported back home to your own country or to a safe third country in hours and days, not months and years," Jenrick explained.
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French President Emmanuel Macron said both France and the UK have 'a shared responsibility to address irregular migration'
PAJenrick identified several factors he believes attract illegal immigration to Britain. "We should also be tackling the pull factors to the UK," the Newark MP said.
"You should not be able to work in the black market, that's why we've got to stop all of those Uber and Deliveroo drivers who have no legal right to be working in the UK.
"But the absolute heart of the issue is not what happens when you're here, it’s that you should never be allowed to stay in the UK, and you should be removed as quickly as possible so you don't get a foothold in the UK."
He also criticised current accommodation arrangements for asylum seekers, arguing: "That's why, frankly, we should not be housing illegal migrants in hotels, living the Life of Riley, when they should be in detained accommodation and then sent back home as quickly as possible."
Jenrick told GB News that the UK needs a 'sovereign deterrent' like the Rwanda scheme
GB News
The Shadow Justice Secretary insisted that preventing illegal immigrants from establishing themselves in Britain remains crucial to solving the crisis.
Jenrick expressed doubt about any potential agreement between the UK and French Governments: "We don't know exactly what this potential deal is that is being discussed between the government and President Macron. We're going have to wait and see what the details of that actually are."
He noted Britain's substantial financial investment in French border security has yielded limited results.
"We've spent £800million in recent times trying to persuade the French to actually do something on the beaches," Jenrick stated.
The Shadow Justice Secretary remained cautious about French commitments, concluding: "We've been led up this path before by President Macron, and he's not fulfilled his promises in the past."
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