Former Conservative minister Esther McVey has called for an immediate recall of Parliament, declaring the current situation with Channel crossings a "state of emergency" requiring urgent action.
Speaking on GB News, McVey insisted MPs must return from recess to address the crisis. "Parliament needs to be recalled. This is a state of emergency. The numbers for immigration… We've got to get everybody back and agree on what we're going to do," she stated.
Her demands come as fresh arrivals in Dover pushed this year's total towards 25,000 people, marking a 47 per cent rise compared to the same period last year.
McVey urged the government to immediately revive the Rwanda deportation scheme, claiming it had inspired successful border control measures elsewhere.
GB NEWS
|Esther McVey said Keir Starmer should 'dust off' the Rwanda plan
"Dust down the Rwanda plan immediately because that is what Trump has based his scheme on and it has pretty much stopped all of the immigrants coming over the Mexican border," McVey argued during her broadcast appearance.
The former minister insisted that former US President Trump's border policies had drawn inspiration from Britain's Rwanda deportation proposal, claiming this approach had effectively halted crossings from Mexico.
Beyond reinstating the Rwanda scheme, McVey demanded Britain's withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights. "He has got to do that and we've got to get out the European Convention on Human Rights and stop the Human Rights Act," she said.
Her intervention follows Wednesday's arrival of multiple boats in Dover, with Border Force vessels and RNLI lifeboats responding to several crossings throughout the afternoon.
GB NEWS
|Esther McVey declared a state of emergency
Home Office data reveals that 24,538 individuals have reached British shores via small boats since January, approaching the 25,000 threshold. This figure represents a substantial 47 per cent surge from the 16,712 recorded during the corresponding period in 2024.
The statistics also show a 67 per cent jump from 2023's comparable figures of 14,732, establishing this as a record-breaking year for crossings since monitoring commenced in 2018.
Wednesday's arrivals saw numerous vessels packed with life-jacketed passengers entering Dover harbour. Border Force ships were observed arriving in succession, while RNLI lifeboats docked with individuals standing on external decks.
These crossings persist despite governmental attempts at deterrence and continued diplomatic engagement with French authorities regarding border security measures.
The broader immigration context reveals England and Wales experienced their second-largest annual population increase in 75 years, with 706,881 additional residents recorded in the year to June 2024. Net migration accounted for 690,147 of this growth, as approximately 1.1 million individuals entered whilst 452,000 departed.
A Home Office representative acknowledged the ongoing challenge: "We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security."
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged stricter immigration controls, including prohibiting overseas care worker recruitment and implementing enhanced English language requirements.
]Home Secretary Yvette Cooper criticised the previous government's approach, stating their "failed open borders experiment resulted in net migration quadrupling to a peak of almost a million per year in 2023."