AN MP has called for an Australian approach of immigration to clamp down on illegal Channel crossings.

Jacob Young, Conservative MP for Redcar, has also called for fake asylum seekers arriving from France to have their claim cancelled and be sent back to France immediately.

Mr Young welcomed the commitment of Home Secretary Priti Patel for the Government to step up efforts to crack down on the unacceptably high number of illegal small boat crossings in the English Channel.

During a zoom call with Mr Young, the Home Secretary said she recognised the concerns shared by many in Redcar and Cleveland and added that there was more the Home Office can do including stopping boats leaving France in the first place and intercepting and returning anyone attempting to make a crossing.

After the call Mr Young said: “The small boat crossings into this country are illegal, unacceptable and incredibly unsafe. We saw another fatality only last week from someone trying to make the crossing, showing how dangerous the journey is.

“I would like the government to take an Australian style approach, where illegal crossings are intercepted, the individuals are brought to safety and then returned to their country of origin. We need to send a message that if people attempt illegal entry into this Country via boat, they will be refused asylum and turned away.

"France is a safe country and genuine asylum seekers must take refuge at their first arrival.

“I am grateful for the strong work the Home Secretary is doing including in pressing the French to take much firmer enforcement action, cracking down on the disgusting people smugglers who facilitate this crime, and bolstering our enforcement activities to return everyone who attempts the crossing.

“I am confident the Government is taking robust action to end this unacceptable situation and crack down on illegal immigration in all its forms, but we must do more.”

The National Crime Agency, Border Force and the Police have been working with French authorities to crack down on criminals who facilitate dangerous crossings, with 11 people suspected of organising crossings arrested in a single day last month.

The UK Government is also funding patrols on the beaches of northern France to prevent migrants from crossing in the first place.

In response MP for Stockton North, Alex Cunningham, said: "These are rather bizarre proposals from Jacob Young who doesn’t seem to understand the difference between immigration and refugee policy – nor does he understand the law.

"He also makes a dangerous assumption that everyone trying to enter the UK on boats are in some way illegal immigrants when many are fleeing torture and persecution and need our support. I can’t believe that Jacob Young would really want to exclude some of the world’s most vulnerable people – but by rejecting them all in such a cavalier fashion, he does just that. Is he really saying that he would happily send a gay man facing persecution back to their country of origin to be executed?

"I am also sure the Home Secretary won’t be advocating breaking international law by refusing asylum seekers entry to the UK when they have every right to pass through other safe countries without making a bid for asylum.

"On the very separate issue of immigration - we all want a system that works best for the UK and the country – though current proposals will effectively exclude many of the workers our economy and country needs from care to agricultural workers."