Almost 1,300 migrants arrived in the UK in small boats over just four days – the highest figure recorded this year.

609 people were brought ashore on Monday alone, taking the total number of arrivals across the Channel since the start of the year to 20,478.

Under the joint scheme with France, which began last September, more than 1,500 people have been returned to France, while around 1,500 migrants have been accepted by the UK.

So, in terms of this deal, they’ve basically broken even. But 20,000 arrivals in a year is still far too many, whatever way you look at it. Unfortunately, the Labour government’s approach is about making it easier for illegal migrants to come here rather than stopping them. The promise to 'smash the boats' has long since lost any real weight.