The British government is likely to face growing scrutiny over a recent deadly migrant boat accident in the English Channel and problems surrounding the controversial Bibby Stockholm migrant barge.
Britain's policy of tackling small boat crossings will face increased pressures from both the ruling Conservative and opposition Labour parties after the boat accident killed at least six Saturday.
While Home Office Secretary Suella Braverman offered her condolences, Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South Bridget Phillipson said such incidents were "absolutely tragic."
The incidents in the English Channel "demonstrate why we need much tougher action to crack down on criminal gangs that are exploiting people, putting them in harm's way," she told public broadcaster, BBC.
Phillipson described the Home Office as being "increasingly shambolic and completely incompetent."
She pointed to the need for a "better, fairer system" to address a backlog of asylum applications "that is completely out of control."
Meanwhile, the volunteer-run charity Care4Calais called Saturday's boat sinking an "appalling" incident.
The "unnecessary loss of life affirms yet again the need for safe passage and a modern, sensible system of asylum in the U.K.," it said in a statement.
Jake Berry, a backbench Conservative MP and former party chairman, said it is clear that "only radical changes can truly turn the tide."
"We must put a stop to the vile people smugglers who trade in human misery and whose actions continue to result in this loss of life," he wrote in the Sunday Express.
Recalling that all asylum-seekers were moved from the Bibby Stockholm barge in less than a week, Berry also noted that the Rwanda deal still has not seen a single migrant sent to the African state.
Earlier Friday, all asylum-seekers were moved from the Bibby Stockholm barge after traces of legionella bacteria were found in the water system onboard.
Conservative ministers are reportedly facing calls to resign after removing migrants from the barge.
A senior Tory figure told the inews daily, that Braverman "should be sacked" after the migrants were evacuated over health concerns.
A Home Office insider said the issue was "embarrassing."
"What a complete & utter farce. As if having porous borders isn’t bad enough, we can’t even move 39 illegal immigrants onto a barge properly," Scott Benton, an independent lawmaker and a former Conservative MP, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
According to data from the Home Office, a total of 1,608 migrants in 30 small boats were detected crossing the English Channel from Aug. 10-12.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak listed tackling small boat crossings as one of his five priorities after over 45,000 migrants arrived in the country by crossing the English Channel last year.
