People smuggling gangs must be smashed to stop dangerous Channel crossings, says minister

PEOPLE smuggling gangs must be smashed to halt illegal Channel crossings, says a Tory minister.

It is the only way to stem the tide of migrants on small boats, warns Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.

He told The Sun: “Once they’re off the French beach and halfway across the Channel it’s a very difficult place to be. We’re not going to fix that properly without going right upstream.”

He wants smugglers and crime mobs — often based thousands of miles away — to be targeted.

This year, 40,000 migrants have made the perilous journey.
Half arriving before September were from Albania, Afghanistan, Iran, Eritrea and Egypt.

Mr Wallace said the UK had a similar problem to Italy which was trying to curb illegal migration from north Africa.

His warning comes just weeks after the UK and France set up a taskforce to stop routes into western Europe.

The Royal Navy has been in charge of handling cross-Channel migrant crossings.

But its involvement ends next month.

Ministers are also said to be drafting laws to prevent illegal asylum-seekers settling here.

It comes as Home Secretary Suella Braverman writes in a report out today that it is not xenophobic or anti-immigration to tackle the problem.

The Centre for Policy Studies study wants illegal asylum-seekers sent to Rwanda with which the UK has a deportation deal.

It also demands ministers cap the number who can claim asylum to 20,000 a year.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said Albanians faced being barred from claiming asylum.