British Conservative MP Robert Jenrick has accused France of all but letting migrants into Britain, claiming the UK is being “scammed” by its ally across the Channel.
Jenrick, who travelled to Dunkirk between August 9 and 11, said he witnessed 1,190 migrants making the illegal crossing during that short window alone.
“Is it any surprise that this is how easy the French make it to break in? Britain’s being scammed”, he said on August 14.
In a video posted to his X account on August 14, the former immigration minister showed scenes of the migrant exodus and even showed glass bottles thrown at him.
The footage, heavily edited, does not reveal what preceded the confrontation.
“As we leave the camp, we notice something, a group of 60 or 70 migrants on the way to the beaches,” Jenrick narrates.
But what shocked him most, he says, was the absence of French enforcement: “No sign of the French police,” he remarked, even as dozens prepared to set sail.
The video shows Jenrick phoning Britain’s immigration patrol, urging them to take action.
One officer reportedly told him he doubted any police would show up, though he’d “pass it on.”
The video comes as over 25,000 people have already crossed into Britain in small boats so far in 2025.
Prior to the video on August 13, Jenrick denounced that “The French are aiding and abetting small boat migrants coming into the UK.
I was in Northern France last Saturday to Monday.
1,190 migrants crossed the Channel in that time alone.
Is it any surprise, when this is how easy the French make it to break in?
Britain’s being scammed. pic.twitter.com/wlA5ERdUOU
— Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick) August 14, 2025
On August 5, London and Paris revealed the “one in, one out” migrant deal.
Under the pilot scheme, France will take back undocumented boat arrivals, but only in exchange for the UK agreeing to accept the same number of “legitimate” asylum seekers with family ties to Britain
Government insiders admit the numbers are not enough, with about 50 returns a week and 2,600 a year.
The UK saw 35,000 arrivals reported in 2024.
Meanwhile, tensions in England against immigration have been rising.
The country has seen a rise f anti-immigration protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers and people who illegally crossed the channel.
