Senior Tory MP Tim Loughton warned that until the police in France begin arresting migrants and turning again vessels, the crossings will final indefinitely.

Britain has promised France £480million over three years to sort out the issue, to fund extra border employees and a detention centre.

But ex-minister Mr Loughton claimed taxpayers’ cash was being wasted: “They already have a huge amount of kit – drones, dune buggies and surveillance technology – and extra patrols thanks to the money we have already handed over.

“But it won’t make any difference unless the French police start arresting migrants. They don’t intervene at sea because they fear they are putting lives at risk and they don’t detain migrants on the beaches because they say they are not allowed. It’s pathetic, crazy.”

French officers have elevated interceptions, stopping not less than 33,000 from crossing final yr.

But Mr Loughton claimed that migrants had been then free to “try again”. He added: “The French could kill this [trafficking] business stone dead.”

Some 16,790 migrants have reached the UK this yr – the full for 2022 was 45,755.