Migrants crossing the English Channel (Image: Getty)
Some 3,500 migrants are waiting to cross the Channel in small boats, the Daily Express can reveal.
Aid charities in northern France have declared there are “four times as many” asylum seekers living in makeshift camps near Calais and Dunkirk compared to last year.
This number is expected to increase as the Winter weather prevents migrants from crossing the English Channel.
Powered By
00:00/01:06
10
10
Jeremy Clarkson flooded with support as he shares rare insight into serious health scare
Share
Next
Stay
And the UK used a Europe-wide summit on smuggling today to warn that the gangs operating in Northern France are becoming “increasingly violent”.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is still considering how to ensure his Rwanda plan is legally watertight following reports Government lawyers warned that attempting to opt out of international rights treaties could delay flights.
The Government had considered the deportation scheme a central element of their plan to tackle the Channel migrant crisis.
The Daily Express understands Home Secretary James Cleverly is fearful that leaving the ECHR will hit attempts to stop the boats as European partners, like France, would be furious and joint projects already preventing migrants from reaching Britain would be at risk.
And there is rising concern that quitting the ECHR would take six months, with the UK legally-bound to Strasbourg's rules during that period.
Some fear this would hinder efforts to stop the boats before the next General Election.
Migrants regularly set up makeshift camps in the Calais and Dunkirk regions (Image: Getty)
But as the rows continue in Westminster, left-wing charity Care4Calais warned donors: “Temperatures are set to plummet in the next few days. With more storms threatening rain, thousands of refugees who have just had their shelters destroyed are battling the elements in thin T-shirts and soaking shoes.
“As the bad weather stops people moving on from Calais, the number of refugees in the region is rising steadily. Right now there are around 3,500 cold and wet refugees in Calais and Dunkirk facing the winter without proper clothing or shelter. That’s four times as many as last winter.”
The Government has said crossings have fallen by a third this year.
Some 28,500 migrants have reached the UK by small boat.
Some claim the Government has been lucky with the weather effectively making crossings impossible.
But this has been strenuously denied – with sources pointing towards renewed efforts across Europe this year to get a grip on illegal migration.
And the European Union on Tuesday agreed to take a tougher stance on people smugglers.
Migrants crossing the English Channel (Image: Getty)
Trending
The UK’s representative at the meeting, Julian Braithwaite, is understood to have told the summit: “We will only succeed against the smugglers if we work together along the route, as countries of origin, transit and destination.
“Nearly 50,000 migrants crossed the English Channel last year. But we know this was just the last leg of a journey exploited by smugglers at every stage.”
Declaring the UK is “proud” to join Europe’s “Call for Action”, Mr Braithwaite added that the UK wanted to thank the French Government for their efforts on the beaches of Northern France.
He said the UK wanted to “pay tribute to our partners. In particular France, for the bravery and commitment of their Gendarmerie in tackling the increasingly violent smuggling gangs operating across the English Channel”.
Brussels wants to create a “global alliance to tackle migrant smuggling”.
The UK confirmed it supports the EU’s plans.
The Government still hopes the first flights carrying asylum seekers to Rwanda will take off by the spring.
Home Secretary James Cleverly has described the deportation scheme as “incredibly important”, while Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said it will be a “critical deterrent”.
Mr Sunak has been urged, including by sacked home secretary Suella Braverman, to adopt tough legislation that includes "notwithstanding" clauses that can prevent judges from applying protections in the Human Rights Act and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to asylum cases.
But the Government has received advice from its lawyers that says instructing the courts to ignore the ECHR risks opening up more avenues for migrants to challenge the legality of deportation flights, on the basis that it would not meet human rights obligations.
A Government source said: "If we take the Supreme Court's ruling at face value and play a straight bat, that will be the quickest way of getting flights off the ground, instead of starting a big fight that may invite more challenges."
The legal advice from Government lawyers is said to have been discussed at a meeting on Saturday between the Prime Minister, Home Secretary James Cleverly, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk and Attorney General Victoria Prentis.
Asked if disapplying the ECHR had been ruled out of the Rwanda legislation, Mr Sunak’s spokesman said: “No … there are policy discussions ongoing about how we meet that objective [to stop the boats]”.
The No 10 official said a range of ideas were “still being discussed”.
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Rwanda migrant bill set to rise again as Rishi Sunak reveals judges will not block flights
186 Comments
James Cleverly's '14 days of Hell' in Tory civil war storm over Rwanda and small boats
330 Comments
Worried Tory MPs tell PM: 'Flights to Rwanda must take off'
829 Comments
James Cleverly to face showdown with furious Tories over Rwanda and small boats in hours
81 Comments
Record net migration spurs urgent call to address housing crisis in the UK
219 Comments
Stopping small boats only happens if ministers do 'whatever it takes', warns Marco Longhi
5 Comments
Ministers insist Rwanda scheme is "critical" deterrent amid growing Tory fury over delays
33 Comments
French villagers desperate to bring back Britons as their economy suffers after Brexit
319 Comments
Rishi Sunak's rushed law won't get Rwanda flights to take off
63 Comments
Rishi Sunak warned he will NOT 'stop the boats' unless UK leaves the ECHR in new report
317 Comments
Lecture us about Brexit? EU's VDL needs to worry about Germany and France instead
63 Comments
Rishi Sunak faces instant Tory fury over record migration figures: 'This cannot continue!'
1399 Comments
‘I smuggle 6,000 migrants a year into UK on small boats - business has never been better'
558 Comments
'What on earth?' Rishi Sunak is braced for a major new headache - and there will be fury
49 Comments
Four times more asylum seekers are waiting to cross Channel than last winter
45 Comments
Cleverly vows Channel migrant "mission to zero" as Tory revolt threat grows
44 Comments
Tories told to axe failed illegal immigration plan and replace it with 'one central point'
86 Comments
Sorry Brussels - lecturing Britain on human rights reeks of EU hypocrisy
96 Comments
James Cleverly:'I will do everything to ensure that we drive down small-boat arrivals'
48 Comments
EU bid to lecture UK over Rwanda shows Brussels still doesn't get it, says Brexiteer
358 Comments
Rwanda migrant bill set to rise again as Rishi Sunak reveals judges will not block flights
186 Comments
James Cleverly's '14 days of Hell' in Tory civil war storm over Rwanda and small boats
330 Comments
Worried Tory MPs tell PM: 'Flights to Rwanda must take off'
829 Comments
James Cleverly to face showdown with furious Tories over Rwanda and small boats in hours
81 Comments
Record net migration spurs urgent call to address housing crisis in the UK
219 Comments
Stopping small boats only happens if ministers do 'whatever it takes', warns Marco Longhi
5 Comments
Ministers insist Rwanda scheme is "critical" deterrent amid growing Tory fury over delays
33 Comments
French villagers desperate to bring back Britons as their economy suffers after Brexit
319 Comments
Rishi Sunak's rushed law won't get Rwanda flights to take off
63 Comments
Rishi Sunak warned he will NOT 'stop the boats' unless UK leaves the ECHR in new report
317 Comments
Lecture us about Brexit? EU's VDL needs to worry about Germany and France instead
63 Comments
Rishi Sunak faces instant Tory fury over record migration figures: 'This cannot continue!'
1399 Comments
‘I smuggle 6,000 migrants a year into UK on small boats - business has never been better'
558 Comments
'What on earth?' Rishi Sunak is braced for a major new headache - and there will be fury
49 Comments
Four times more asylum seekers are waiting to cross Channel than last winter
45 Comments
Cleverly vows Channel migrant "mission to zero" as Tory revolt threat grows
44 Comments
Tories told to axe failed illegal immigration plan and replace it with 'one central point'
86 Comments
Sorry Brussels - lecturing Britain on human rights reeks of EU hypocrisy
96 Comments
James Cleverly:'I will do everything to ensure that we drive down small-boat arrivals'
48 Comments
EU bid to lecture UK over Rwanda shows Brussels still doesn't get it, says Brexiteer
358 Comments
Rwanda migrant bill set to rise again as Rishi Sunak reveals judges will not block flights
186 Comments
James Cleverly's '14 days of Hell' in Tory civil war storm over Rwanda and small boats
330 Comments
Worried Tory MPs tell PM: 'Flights to Rwanda must take off'
829 Comments
James Cleverly to face showdown with furious Tories over Rwanda and small boats in hours
81 Comments
Record net migration spurs urgent call to address housing crisis in the UK
219 Comments
Stopping small boats only happens if ministers do 'whatever it takes', warns Marco Longhi
5 Comments
Ministers insist Rwanda scheme is "critical" deterrent amid growing Tory fury over delays
33 Comments
Senior Tory Sir Robert Buckland has warned against any moves to disapply the ECHR – and said the Rwanda plan was not the “be all and end all”.
“It seems to me that unless the government does more, unless Rwanda does more, to satisfy everybody that it’s a safe country then we will continue to struggle with the problems that we saw up to and including the Supreme Court judgement.”
Become an Express Premium member Support fearless journalism Read The Daily Express online, advert free Get super-fast page loading
Start 30-day
FREE trial
Related articles Sunak warned he will NOT 'stop the boats' unless UK leaves ECHR in new report Cleverly ally slaps down claim he ‘blocked’ Rwanda scheme as Foreign Secretary Ministers insist Rwanda scheme is 'critical' deterrent JamesCleverly vows Channel migrant 'mission to zero' as Tory revolt threat grows Voters are 'sick of talk' on illegal immigration as furious Tories demand cap