‘French cops said wait 1 hour & Brits will pick you up’ – 24 hours on frontier where gangs flood UK with illegals

FRENCH authorities stand accused of “enabling illegal migration”; after leaving a dangerously overcrowded boat of migrants in the Channel to be rescued by the UK’s Border Force.

Officials told around 80 on the dinghy they had “an hour or less than an hour”; until Brit rescuers came for them, a Sun investigation reveals.

It was believed the vessel was already approaching UK waters at the time, but it could still have capsized and killed those on board before they were picked up.

The shocking incident happened earlier this year as huge numbers of migrants crossed the Channel.

Since the start of the year a record number have arrived.

We can also reveal smugglers are now offering VIP and first-class dinghies for migrants wanting extra legroom — supposedly making the trips safer — for inflated prices.

The vessel that was left to be rescued set off from the beach at Gravelines near Calais in northern France earlier this year with more than 100 people packed aboard.

Officials took around 24 migrants off the boat for safety reasons but are said to have allowed around 80 to continue with their journey.

A source said: “If the French decided they could take some migrants back to their shores, why couldn’t they take the whole boat?”;

Reform UK MP Lee Anderson declared: “French authorities are openly exploiting this weak Labour government, and actively enabling illegal immigration into our country.

“If France refuses to tolerate unchecked migration on its own shores, why should we be forced to bear the burden?

“When will ­Labour finally take a stand and hold foreign governments accountable for their role in this crisis?”;

Tory Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp told Flying Eze: “To stop these illegal, dangerous and unnecessary crossings France needs only to intercept the boats near the French coast and take them back.

“Very soon, the illegal immigrants would then stop attempting the crossing and no longer congregate in camps around Calais.

I was in the UK. My phone text me ‘welcome to the UK’. But the boat was more than one hundred people and the boat was too small.

Yemeni migrant Mohammed Al Adiroos

“The UK government should also urgently implement a removals deterrent — it was a catastrophic mistake to cancel Rwanda before it even started.

“Starmer has lost control of our borders and should hang his head in shame.

“His claim to be smashing the gangs lies in tatters.”;

‘Welcome to the UK'

Yemeni Mohammed Al Adiroos, 24, was one of those removed by French authorities from the overcrowded boat.

He paid £1,000 for a place in the dinghy after arriving in France from Sweden.

Since Christmas he has made ten attempts to reach “nice”; Britain, where the government is “kind”;.

He said the boat was already in British waters when he was turned back. Mohammed told our reporter: “I was in the UK. My phone text me ‘welcome to the UK’.

“But the boat was more than one hundred people and the boat was too small.

“The French said for safety some of us have to go back.

“They let some go. They told them ‘you have a wait of one hour or less than one hour’.

“There was 24 people, they took us back here. We try again but they took the boat from the beach.”;

Asked why he wants to come to the UK, he said it was because Britain is “kinder”;.

Mohammed added: “I hope [I will get there]. It’s like the hope we have because in the UK they give you the document.

“They will give you a residents card or anything.

“In the UK it is kind. The government are nice.”;

Jabril Warsome, 30, from Somalia, is trying to cross with his wife and eight-month-old daughter.

He said: “The people don’t understand, if I come to your country I’m seeking a better future. I want to integrate and learn and provide.

“But if I go to a country that give me good shelter, good food, but no documents it’s like prison.

“Because you don’t go to work, you don’t get a job. A lot of people in UK only see the immigrants that are coming to their country and they say those people, the government let them stay in hotel.

“But they don’t even know what they give those people. They don’t have right to get passport.

“They don’t survive in their own country. In the UK we will live peacefully.”;

More than 4,000 small boat migrants have arrived since the start of March, official figures have confirmed, with more intercepted in the Channel yesterday.

Some 357 people in six inflatable dinghies were picked up in the busy shipping strait on Wednesday bringing the total this month to 4,350 arrivals from 76 boats.

This year a total of 6,406 people have successfully made it to Britain on board 115 boats, an almost 40 per cent increase in arrivals.

At least seven people are thought to have died so far this year.

On Wednesday migrants swarmed around an already overcrowded dinghy in the sea off Gravelines.

And yesterday a French police officer was seen using pepper spray to try to deter migrants

We saw migrants with life jackets on buses in the area as police used drones to scour dunes.

The Home Office said: “We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.

“Through the new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, the endangering lives at sea measure will make it an offence to endanger lives during crossings, with those who intimidate or coerce others, particularly children and women, facing increased sentences.

“We are also working with France to ensure boats can be intercepted at the earliest opportunity, to help save lives.”;