Shabana Mahmood is seeking to reach an agreement with Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands to “scale up” the “one in, one out” France migrant deal.
The three countries are part of the Calais Group, established in 2022 to combat illegal immigration in Western Europe.
The current Anglo-French deal aims to deter illegal Channel crossings by having the UK send back migrants who arrive in small boats to France, while the UK accepts an equal number of asylum seekers who enter legally.
Since the deal came into effect in early August, more than 10,000 illegal migrants have crossed the Channel, with just 42 having returned to France.
In return, Britain has accepted 23 migrants from mainland Europe.
Ministers now want to include the three other Western European countries in the deal, despite its limited success so far.
The extension of the scheme was first initiated under Yvette Cooper, who is now the Foreign Secretary, when she was Home Secretary.
She is understood to be helping with negotiations.
Shabana Mahmood seeks to reach an agreement with Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands
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The bilateral deal with France was established first to show “proof of concept”, before Ms Cooper was set to push for the Calais Group deal, according to Home Office sources.
The Home Office said: “The Home Secretary has said she will do whatever it takes to restore order to our border. We continue to work closely with European partners on innovative solutions to tackle illegal immigration.”
Speaking on the deal, Centre for Migration Control Research Director, Robert Bates, told GB News: “The returns deal with France is in chaos.
“It has failed to deter anyone and migrants have now realised they can simply try again and come back across the channel.
“Far from being a deterrent, this scheme is simply increasing the demand. The winners will be the people smugglers.”
Hundreds of small boat migrants continue to make the dangerous crossing
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Hundreds of small boat migrants continue to make the dangerous crossing, making the total so far this year 36,956.
The figure is 70 higher than the 36,816 migrants who crossed the Channel illegally the whole of last year.
Former French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, credited with a more aggressive approach to the channel crossings, has lost his job as minister in the latest of several chaotic reshuffles.
Sir Keir Starmer defended the deal with France, saying that his Government had done more than any other to combat the small boats crisis.
Sir Keir Starmer defended the deal with France, saying that his Government had done more than any other to combat the small boats crisis
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The Prime Minister told the BBC: “Showing that we can and will return people who come by small boats back to France is really important.
“Many governments try to get an agreement like this. We’ve got one, and we are sending people back every week now, so that we’ve shown it’s working, we do need to ramp it up.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said it showed Sir Keir Starmer’s one-in, one-out policy was a “total abject failure”.
“Illegals are laughing at us,” he said.
