David Hanson MP, Labour’s Shadow Immigration Minister, responding to the deployment of British police officers to Calais, said:

“We have been calling for many years for more joint action from the British and French government to tackle people smuggling. So these moves today are welcome. People smuggling is an abhorrent crime that preys on vulnerability, conflict and loss. Tackling it will need more than just cooperation between French and British government. We need action across Europe to clamp down on trafficking gangs and offer more humanitarian support to people in their country of origin.

“And we need to know more detail about the remit of this control and command centre will be, how many of our police officers are to be deployed in Calais and the impact that will have on police forces in Kent and the South East - which are already stretched. And we need a specific plan to ensure all those in camps are properly assessed and given the support they need – either by the French government or the UNHCR.”