French President Emmanuel Macron has blamed Brexit for the small boat crisis in the English Channel as he unveiled a new migrant returns deal with Keir Starmer.The one in, one out pilot scheme was described by Starmer as a “breakthrough” in his Government’s attempt to stop boat crossings.

The Government is making “slow progress” on tackling the migrant small boat Channel crossings crisis, a Cabinet minister admitted. John Healey, the Defence Secretary, said the Government had stopped 12,000 crossings this year and had also deported 30,000 people.