Migrant crossings: UK working 'very effectively' with France as over 1,100 cross channel in two days

Watch: Migrant crossings: UK working 'very effectively' with France as over 1,100 cross channel in two days

The UK is working "very effectively" with France to tackle migrant crossings of the Channel, the government has said, after Paris accused London of not handing over promised funds.

Tory frontbencher and Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng sought to play down splits after French interior minister Gerald Darmanin told Sky News that "not one euro has been paid" by Britain of the £54m promised to help deal with the problem.

Home Secretary Priti Patel recently threatened to withhold the funding unless more people were stopped from reaching the UK.

The row came after Sky News filmed dozens of migrants leaving beaches on inflatable boats, and even a canoe, to begin the hazardous voyage unchallenged by French police officers.

Among those rescued by the RNLI after surviving a nine-hour journey was a newborn baby.

On Sunday, another boat of migrants arrived on the Kent coast.

Sky News correspondent Ivor Bennett said: "Another day, another boat of migrants arriving on the Kent coast.

"Among them, a family of four taking their first steps in what they hope will be a new life, as the government here insists its relationship with France to stem the crossings is working well."

Home Office figures show:
• More than 1,100 people crossed the English Channel to the UK aboard small boats over Friday and Saturday
• Friday: 624 people reached the UK aboard 23 boats
• Friday: 300 people were stopped from getting to the UK by French authorities in at least seven incidents
• Saturday: 491 people travelled to the UK aboard 17 boats
• Saturday: 114 people were stopped by French officials in at least five incidents

Up until the end of September, 17,085 people had made the journey compared to 8,417 for the whole of last year.

Speaking to Sky News' Trevor Phillips On Sunday programme, Mr Kwarteng said: "All I can say is that we've worked very effectively with the French government so far."

He pointed out joint cooperation had led to nearly 300 arrests, 65 convictions and prevented more than 13,500 crossings.

The cabinet minister added: "It is a good collaborative relationship and we obviously want to improve that.

"Things are actually happening on the ground and I am sure the home secretary is working very hard to make sure that we actually deliver on this very critical problem."

It follows comments made by Mr Darmanin during a weekend visit to Calais to inspect efforts to tackle migrant crossings, when asked by Sky's Europe correspondent Adam Parsons why so many boats were arriving in Britain despite the deal.

Mr Darmanin said: "First off, the British government has not paid, for now, what was promised.

"So, for the moment, there is not a euro that has been paid by the British government following the deal - more or less - that we negotiated with Ms Patel.

"The English are people of honour, so I am certain that it is an accounting delay."

He also insisted the French authorities had taken action to stop the illegal arrivals, including dismantling transit camps and increasing the number of police.

Watch: Migrant crossings: Sky News witnesses chaotic boat launches near Calais

Meanwhile, Labour's shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds has argued the large number of crossings this weekend alone showed withholding money from France "clearly isn't working".

He told Sky News: "The home secretary needs to come clean because every single person risking their lives in that dangerous sea crossing of the English Channel is one too many."

He added: "Whilst of course the patrols at the coast preventing people getting out onto the water and risking their lives is hugely important - of course it is - what I fear the home secretary misses is the fact that nobody becomes a refugee in northern France.

"We need to be tackling the people smugglers and these vile criminal gangs further away from the coast as well."

Along with the migrant crossings, UK-France relations have been further strained by the AUKUS submarine dispute and a row over post-Brexit fishing rights.

French fisheries workers claim they have been "deceived" by the British government over fishing licence applications and have called on the European Commission to take "retaliatory measures".

And France has again threatened to cut the UK off from energy supplies if the terms of the Brexit deal aren't stuck to.