Disgrace as France only stopping 1 in 5 migrants - 'ask for our money back'

A single small boat carrying a record 125 migrants crossed the Channel on Saturday, as shocking figures show French police are halting barely one in five of those attempting the perilous journey.

In the week to September 21, 1,157 people arrived in Britain aboard 14 dinghies, while officers in Calais managed to stop only 243. Just seven migrants were sent back under the Prime Minister's new "one-in, one-out" deal, with three vetted asylum seekers admitted through official channels.

The Prime Minister, speaking in a BBC interview yesterday, demanded French police, and their powerful militant unions, do more to clamp down on crossings, warning the scale of the crisis is spiralling.

But critics say the agreement is already failing. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: "Stopping just one migrant for every five that arrive in the UK is a disgrace.

"Labour should be asking for our money back. The only way to stop the boats is to remove every single person who arrives in this country illegally."

Each boat carried an average of 83 people crammed on board, according to Home Office figures, with crossings now at levels that risk further tragedies.

The revelations come after eight record-breaking weeks in a row where more migrants reached Britain than were stopped in France, despite hundreds of millions being handed to Paris to help patrol its beaches.

A Home Office spokeswoman last night insisted Britain is "working closely" with France to tackle the crossings.