Border boat ‘sits idle’ at Dover as migrants cross the Channel
Sources said the vessel costs hundreds of thousands of pounds to run, before staffing costs.
A Border Force vessel has been sitting idle at Dover for cleaning, despite huge numbers of migrants risking their lives to cross the Channel.
When in opposition, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper demanded that the Government use “all specialist resources” to get a grip on the crossings.
This included HMC Hunter, a cutter previously used to transport migrants back to Kent’s shores.
But it has been “sitting idle” in the harbour, being scrubbed by officers, while colleagues deal with the influx of dinghies – through which 12 people from one boat recently perished.
A Home Office spokesman confirmed the boat is not being used to deal with crossings but it is operational and being used to deter tax fraud in British waters.
Sources said the vessel costs hundreds of thousands of pounds to run, before staffing costs. When in use, cutters can travel at 26 knots and carry 16 people.
One fisherman based in Dover called its lack of use “shocking”, noting: “It is not doing anything.
“I cannot believe it’s not being used to help with the migrant crisis. It could act as a deterrent.”
Alp Mehmet, of Migrant Watch UK, said: “It shows Labour’s lack of imagination when it comes to tackling this crisis.
“It makes no sense to have a working vessel sitting in Dover watching migrants coming in huge numbers each day but not doing anything. It shows Border Force is just a taxi service and isn’t interested in acting as a deterrent. Money has been thrown at this issue for five years and taxpayers are suffering.”
When the last government said cutters were being withdrawn from migrant duties, Ms Cooper hit back: “The Tory government is completely failing to get a grip of our border security.
“They should be using all the specialist resources we’ve got to stop dangerous crossings.”
They were replaced with a fleet of private vessels, costing taxpayers £36million a year.
Earlier this year, the Home Office put out a tender for £6million for a “life extension” scheme for the cutters but it is unclear if HMC Hunter is included.
