Rishi Sunak’s government are reeling after a horrific seven days in which the Bibby Stockholm migrant barge policy fell apart and several migrants tragically died in the Channel
Ministers face growing pressure to open safe routes to save refugees’ lives after six migrants died trying to cross the Channel.
The Government is accused of having “blood on its hands” over the tragedy and is being urged to end “unworkable, unlawful and costly” policies which will not stop dangerous crossings.
Critics say its anti-refugee measures are headline-grabbing gimmicks to stoke division and distract people from the Government’s failings. On Monday the Prime Minister’s spokesman is likely to be grilled about Saturday’s deaths off France.
It marked a tragic end to No10’s farcical “stop the boats” week. Plans to send migrants to Ascension Island were axed hours after being revived. Tory Deputy Chairman Lee Anderson told migrants who did not like accommodation on the Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset to “f*** off back to France”. Then 39 asylum seekers were taken off the vessel when legionella, which can cause legionnaires disease, was discovered on board.