A FLOATING wall of buoys should be built along French beaches to stop Channel migrants coming to Britain, ex Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick has said.
The colourful blockades have already been used in some French canals and rivers to stop people smugglers launching small boats.
GettyBuoy barriers are seen situated in the Rio Grande river on September 11, 2023 in Eagle Pass, Texas.[/caption]
GettyAn aerial view of the Shelby Park area, a favorite destination for irregular migrants to enter the United States in Eagle Pass, Texas.[/caption]
PARobert Jenrick speaking in the House of Commons[/caption]
But Mr Jenrick wants them rolled out across more estuaries and beaches which are hotspots for Channel crossings.
The buoys would rotate – making it virtually impossible for illegal migrants to get over them.
The top Tory made the call as he kicked off a three day tour of the US.
He will visit the 1,000 ft chain of buoys in the Rio Grande River which stops illegal migrants from heading over the border from Mexico.
Mr Jenrick said: “The Western world faces a migration crisis. It’s vital the UK adopts the latest technology and the most effective tactics from other countries that are facing similar challenges.
“As Immigration Minister I worked with French officers to deploy buoys to blockade the smuggler’s boats.
“They proved highly effective, and as the Governor of Texas has now shown, they work at scale too.
“As currently conceived the Rwanda policy won’t provide the effective and sustainable deterrent we desperately need.
“The Government can’t afford to simply wait and see – we need to be doing absolutely everything we can to end this national security emergency.
“More blockades aren’t a silver bullet, but they would provide an important step forward.”
Mr Jenrick will meet with Texas Governor Greg Abbott on his trip.
Since his bombshell resignation from Cabinet last year, Mr Jenrick has led Tory calls for Rishi Sunak to massively toughen up border controls.
He was one of the ‘Rwanda rebels’ who voted against the PM’s flagship deportation bill, warning it was not tough enough.
ReutersWorkers assemble a string of buoys, to deter migrants from crossing the Rio Grande river[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
