The UK’s new migrant returns deal appeared to fall flat on its face on its very outsetfrom day one, as French authorities were accused of running a “taxi service” for dinghies crossing the Channel. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s promise to tackle the small boats crisis once and for all disappointed many after the Daily Express—alongside Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp—saw two small vessels carrying dozens of people being shadowed by a French boat within 30 minutes of each other.

After leading one of the boats into British waters, the French navy vessel’s captain then made contact with a UK Border Force boat over the radio to request its 60 lifejackets back. In a sharply-worded assessment, Mr Philp said: “The people-smuggling conveyor belt is now a round trip, paid for by British taxpayers. We were in the middle of the Channel, just on the UK side of the border, witnessing the French handing over two boatloads of illegal migrants, Border Force picking them out, providing a taxi service back to the UK. This is the first day of the Labour Government’s new plan and here is evidence it is not working at all. I mean, even seeing the French asking for their lifejackets back so they can facilitate even more illegal immigration later on. With a weak Government in the UK, the [French] are essentially assisting and facilitating illegal migration [so it’s] no wonder we’ve got the worst ever numbers.”

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The Home Secretary, who is the wife of former shadow Chancellor Ed Balls, refused to say how many migrants had been detained under the new returns deal with France. The first small boat arrivals were detained on Thursday, hours after the PM’s “one in, one out” agreement came into force.

But Mrs Cooper would not give details about how many migrants were being held in immigration removal centres. Pressed for a figure, she said: “We will provide regular updates for the public at every stage. That’s why I’m confirming today that the pilot has now started and the first migrants who arrived on small boats are now in detention.

“The transfers to immigration removal centres are under way as we speak, so we won’t provide operational details at this point that criminal gangs can simply use and exploit.

“But no one should be in any doubt: anyone who arrives from now on is eligible for immediate detention and return.

“This pilot will now build because we are determined that no one should be making this journey and this is a vile trade in people.”