Sir Keir Starmer has been hit with mounting pressure to suspend Britain's fishing agreement with the European Union until France effectively halts migrant Channel crossings.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp vowed to confront Labour in the Commons later today, just weeks after Brexiteers fumed at the Prime Minister's "sell-out" reset.
France has committed to altering its laws to enable police officers to intercept boats in shallow waters.
Previously, French authorities refused such interventions and instead escorted migrants to the middle of the Channel, where they were subsequently rescued by Border Force and RNLI vessels.
Sir Keir StarmerGetty
A record 1,194 migrants successfully crossed the Channel on Saturday, while French officers were observed standing on beaches taking photographs as the boats departed.
This brought the total arrivals for the year to 14,811, representing the highest figure ever recorded in the first five months of any year and marking a 42 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
France has intercepted merely 38 per cent of migrants this year, representing a decline from 45 per cent last year, 46.9 per cent in 2023, and 42.4 per cent in 2022.
Criticising France's performance on migrant interceptions, Philp said: "The French are completely failing to stop these illegal immigrants, despite receiving hundreds of millions of pounds from the UK taxpayer to do so. They are also failing to intercept any boats at sea and return them as the Belgians do."
Almost 1,200 illegal migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel on SaturdayGETTY
Philp also told The Telegraph: "The 12-year fishing deal the UK Government recently proposed with the EU, which is itself outrageous, should be immediately suspended until the French actually stop all these illegal immigrants, including using interceptions at sea.
"And if they won't, the fishing deal should be cancelled."
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also accused France of "taking Britain for fools".
He told The Telegraph: "Since 2015, we have pledged and given the best part of £800million to the French. Yesterday, their officers watched like tourists as over 1,000 young men made the illegal crossing to England."
The agreement would reportedly grant the EU a long-term deal on fish accessGetty
Meanwhile, Defence Secretary John Healey has blamed record Channel migrant crossings on French police failing to intervene in shallow waters.
Speaking on the Camilla Tominey Show, Healey said: "Part of what's necessary is to get the French to intervene when the boats are in shallow waters, not just when they're on the shore.
"Britain lost control of its borders five or six years ago. When the Tories left office and left Government last year, they left the asylum system in chaos."
However, Healey defended Labour's decision to scrap the Rwanda scheme, calling it "a failed scheme" that cost "£700million of taxpayers' money" with "just four volunteers".