Only ‘small proportion’ of Channel migrant boats will be turned back

Priti Patel's top civil servant has admitted that only a "small proportion" of migrant boats will be turned back in the Channel as he downplayed the potential impact of the new tactics.

Matthew Rycroft, the Home Office permanent secretary, refused to say what proportion would be turned back by Border Force officers on jet skis, but said it was closer to one per cent than 49 per cent.

Asked in what circumstances the "pushback" tactics would be deployed, Mr Rycroft told MPs on the home affairs committee that they would only be used "if it can be done in a safe and legal way".

He said: "In addition to that, it also requires decision-makers to decide that it is available to be deployed if circumstances are met.

"Then it requires Border Force commanders to make judgments in the moment about whether the specific circumstances of a particular vessel in particular weather conditions in a particular part of the Channel in particular relation to other vessels, British or French, are met. That's why it's hard to give a definitive answer."

Ms Patel, the Home Secretary, has secured legal advice for Border Force vessels to start redirecting migrant boats away from UK waters and back towards France, where the French will have to return them to shore.

France, however, has claimed the change in tactic – where Border Force officers on jet skis swarm a boat – is a breach of trust, illegal under maritime laws and a threat to life.

The Border Force union and former chiefs of the service have warned that it could lead to loss of life, as smugglers might use counter-tactics such as sinking their boats, and claimed it is unlikely to be deployed.

Border Force has told ministers it will be able to deploy "turnarounds" only when it deems them safe and that use is likely to be restricted to sturdier, bigger migrant boats and only in "very limited circumstances".

Because of the concerns, Ms Patel will speak to Border Force vessel commanders to confirm that she will fully support them in their decision to deploy the tactics whenever they assess that they can.

Mr Rycroft told MPs it would be "perverse" for him to reveal precisely when the tactics might be used as "that would shape the behaviour of people crossing the Channel, and that's the last thing we want to do".

It also emerged on Wednesday that 7,000 Afghans are still being housed in hotels after they were evacuated from Kabul six weeks ago because of a lack of availability of permanent council housing. It is feared some could still be in hotels by Christmas.