New French surge teams will help tackle the launch of migrant mega dinghies like the one that brought 120 asylum seekers to Portsmouth on Sunday – but they may not be in place for weeks.
Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron last week announced plans to deploy 45 officers to western beaches in France to tackle launches from further along the coast, nearly tripling resources in the area.
But they were not in place in time to stop a boat carrying around 120 migrants that arrived in Portsmouth, triggering controversial protests with far-right demonstrators, including people dressed in black and wearing balaclavas, blocking roads to stop the asylum seekers from leaving.
Shorts
The Home Office is still unable to say when the new surge unit will be in place beyond that it will become operational in the next few weeks.
