Defence chiefs are considering a formal request from the Home Office for naval support to deal with migrants attempting to cross the English Channel in small boats.
The call for the Royal Navy to assist Border Force in the Dover Straits came as the government faces increasing pressure to deal with record numbers of people trying to make the perilous journey.
Home Secretary Priti Patel vowed to make the route used by asylum seekers “unviable” but conceded there are “legislative, legal and operational barriers” to stopping the boats.
However, ministers were warned of potentially fatal capsizings and legal challenges after it emerged they were considering blocking boats in the Channel before they enter British waters.
The Ministry of Defence said yesterday that it was “working hard to identify how we can most effectively assist” after receiving a request under the military aid to the civilian authorities protocol.
The Coastguard was dealing with several incidents off the Kent coast yesterday.
Bella Sankey, director of the Detention Action human rights campaign, said the possibility of boats containing migrants being forced back into French waters was “an unhinged proposal”.
Enjoy the convenience of having The Sunday Post delivered as a digital ePaper straight to your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Subscribe for only £5.49 a month and enjoy all the benefits of the printed paper as a digital replica.
Subscribe