31.12.2022
The MOD has confirmed it will hand back operational command in the Channel to the Home Office on 1st February 2023.
The operation was called ‘Operation Red Meat’ which in itself is an insult to the British public. It’s effectively the Tories throwing red meat to their disgruntled voters hoping they’ll naively believe they intend to stop the invasion of our country via the Kent coast. When in fact the opposite is quite true.
MP Phillip Hollobone explained the flaws of the policy in the House of Commons.
'This isn’t Operation Red Meat, it’s Operation Dog’s Dinner.'
Tory MP Philip Hollobone says the deployment of the Royal Navy means asylum seekers 'only need to get halfway across the Channel' before being intercepted. pic.twitter.com/6TkZbiDQAJ
— GB News (@GBNEWS) January 18, 2022
The MOD first took operational control of the Channel on the 14th of April 2022, after the Border Force could no longer control the massive influx of illegal immigrants arriving by boat.
The MOD took command of all assets responding to illegal Channel crossings, including Border Force vessels and the operational elements of the ineffective Clandestine Channel Threat Commander.
However, the MOD being involved in the Channel didn’t make a difference in terms of deterring or stopping crossings.
In the first month of the MOD taking control, the government spent £1.1 million on ‘operational control’.
The decision to bring in the MOD was made as part of the government’s so-called new plan for immigration. This was done under Priti Patel’s tenure as Home Secretary.
The MOD confirmed that the policy was costing the British taxpayer £34,000 a day just for the MOD operating in the Channel, which ultimately turned out to be nothing more than a taxi operator.
The total cost per day covered reporting dinghies spotted in the Channel as well as monitoring, tracking and assisting in the ‘processing’ of illegal immigrants.
It’s important to note that this cost was only on the MOD personnel involved.
Nothing will change after this announcement other than the fact that it will be highly likely we will see more beach landings due to fewer vessels operating in the Channel.
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