Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp and Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick have been spending time in Calais after GB News revealed 50,000 people have illegally crossed the Channel since Labour won the General Election last year.

Jenrick wrote on social media: "I’ve just spent 48 hours in northern France. It’s sickening. It’s a disgrace. The French are aiding and abetting small boat migrants coming into the UK."

Meanwhile, Philp said: "I’m heading to France right now to find out more about what’s happening on the ground with the illegal migration crisis, following my observations at sea on the channel last week."

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Labour’s promise to "smash the criminal boat gangs" in its manifesto last year was "just a slogan."

She added that crossings are now "so much worse" than they were before the vote.

Former home secretary Baroness Smith, who is now an education and women and equalities minister, told the BBC: "Criminal gangs have got an absolute foothold in the tragic trafficking of people across the Channel.

"It is an unacceptable number of people."

Robert Jenrick and Chris Philp descend on Calais

It comes as a grim milestone was passed this morning in a potentially worrying development.

GB News can exclusively reveal that 107 people were crammed onto just one migrant boat overnight in the largest single load to arrive in UK waters.

In an ominous new development, the boat they arrived on was a new design, longer than the current inflatable rafts used by the people smugglers.

Senior maritime security sources have told GB News the new 'mega dinghy' recovered from UK waters overnight is of a design seen in the Mediterranean recently.

A new design of boat has been used by smuggling gangs | GB NEWS

However, the extra-long inflatables had not been seen in the English Channel before last night.

GB News has been told the new vessels are 18 meters long, around seven meters longer than the current migrant boats used in the Channel.

One senior maritime security source told GB News: "This is highly alarming.

"It looks like the smuggling gangs have specified larger boats, which we know are designed and built in back street factories in China.

The source continued: "Bigger boats mean bigger numbers of arrivals, at a time when we're already seeing record numbers crossing from France.

"If we are witnessing the advent of a new, larger migrant boat, this is the worst possible news for those attempting to smash the gangs."

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Through international intelligence sharing under our Border Security Command, enhanced enforcement operations in Northern France and tougher legislation in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, we are strengthening international partnerships and boosting our ability to identify, disrupt, and dismantle criminal gangs whilst strengthening the security of our borders."

The revelation of the latest figures comes as Sir Keir Starmer has been warned that current migrant numbers could "double" by the end of the year.

Speaking to GB News, Rob Bates, a research director from the Centre of Migration Control, claimed that Britain could see 50,000 migrants cross illegally into Britain by the end of the year.

He also declared the crisis is "getting out of hand".

Bates told GB News: "We're about 40 per cent up when it comes to Channel crossings on last year, and we are probably going to see 50,000 people come across the English Channel."