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Two held over English Channel migrant crossings Two held over English Channel migrant crossings
(about 9 hours later)
Two men have been arrested on suspicion of arranging the "illegal movement of migrants" across the English Channel, the National Crime Agency has said. Two men have been arrested on suspicion of arranging the "illegal movement of migrants" across the English Channel.
The NCA said the 33-year-old Iranian and 24-year-old Briton were held in Manchester on Wednesday. An Iranian, 33, was held in Broughton and a Briton, 24, in Pendleton, Greater Manchester, on Wednesday.
The UK government has redeployed patrol vessels from the Mediterranean amid concerns at a rise in crossings. They were arrested over alleged offences committed in December 2018.
Meanwhile, it is being reported that Home Secretary Sajid Javid has requested help from the Royal Navy. The UK is due to redeploy two Border Force patrol boats to the Channel from the Mediterranean, where they have been helping with the thousands of people who have tried to cross to Europe.
While the MoD has not confirmed it will provide assistance, a spokesman said: "Our armed forces stand ready to provide additional capacity and expertise to assist the Home Office with the response to migrant crossings. Home Secretary Sajid Javid is also reported to have requested help from the Royal Navy in the Channel - the offshore patrol vessel HMS Mersey could be used.
"Royal Navy ships continue to conduct patrols to protect the integrity of UK territorial waters." A total of 239 people are known to have reached the UK in small boats since November, including 12 migrants found on the Kent coast last week.
According to the Press Association, offshore patrol vessel HMS Mersey is "available and ready" to be deployed. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the armed forces were "ready to provide additional capacity and expertise to assist the Home Office with the response to migrant crossings".
Joint action plan It comes after Mr Javid sparked controversy during a visit to Border Force staff in Dover on Wednesday by questioning whether those risking their lives to cross the English Channel in small boats were "genuine" refugees.
In a statement, the NCA announced its officers had arrested the two people on Wednesday evening, adding: "As the investigation is ongoing, we are unable to comment further at this time." The home secretary also defended escalating the UK's response to the crossings, saying 80% of the 539 people who had attempted to make the crossing in small boats in 2018 had done so since October.
Earlier in the day, Mr Javid was in Dover visiting Border Force staff patrolling the Channel. More widely, figures released in May showed an estimated 2,366 people entered the UK "clandestinely" in 2016-17 - on boats, via ferries or on lorries. The estimate for 2017-18 was 1,832.
A total of 239 people have reached the UK by boat since November. It is not known how many of those who entered the country in this way went on to apply for asylum in the UK.
Twelve migrants were found on the Kent coast last week and the home secretary defended escalating the UK's response, saying 80% of the 539 people who had attempted to cross in small boats in 2018, had done so since October. In 2017, there were 26,350 asylum applications in total. A decision was made in 21,290 of those cases, with 31.8% gaining some form of protection.
French police said they stopped 14 migrants attempting to cross the Channel from Boulogne on Tuesday, the latest in a growing number of people intercepted by the French authorities in the past month. During the same period, there were 198,255 applications for asylum made in Germany, 126,550 in Italy and 91,070 in France.
As part of a joint action plan agreed with France last week, Mr Javid - who cut short his holiday to deal with the issue - ordered two UK Border Force boats to be redeployed from overseas to patrol the Channel. 'Lost control of borders'
Lib Dem spokesman for home affairs, Sir Ed Davey said the government had "lost control of our borders" because of cuts of 600 border staff since 2015.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Rather than taking the blame for that, they're scape-goating the most vulnerable people, blaming the refugees. That's just moral cowardice."
Safe routes such as the refugee family reunion scheme and vulnerable persons resettlement scheme should be used, he said.
Conservative MP Anne-Marie Trevelyan said France could look "just as well" as the UK at a "genuine" refugee's case and said she had asked Mr Javid to investigate how the UK could "help the French to manage this more".
But she added: "That Channel waterway is the most congested piece of waterway in the world.
"People getting into small boats are incredibly likely to lose their lives. Nobody wants to see that happen."
French interceptions
French police said they stopped 14 migrants attempting to cross the Channel from Boulogne on Tuesday - the latest in a growing number of people intercepted by the French authorities in the past month.
The government has agreed a joint action plan with France, which includes the redeployment of the two Border Force vessels from the Mediterranean.
Only one of the five Border Force cutters - specialist boats which the force describes as being capable of rescuing several migrant boats at the same time - had been working in the Straits of Dover.Only one of the five Border Force cutters - specialist boats which the force describes as being capable of rescuing several migrant boats at the same time - had been working in the Straits of Dover.
The two being brought back are currently in the Mediterranean, where they have been taking part in Operation Frontex, the pan-European effort to deal with much larger migration flows from North Africa and the Middle East, to Italy and Greece. The two being brought back have been taking part in Operation Frontex, the pan-European effort to deal with much larger migration flows from North Africa and the Middle East, to Italy and Greece.