UK accused over migrant rescue plan

Migrants sit in a boat off the coast of Sicily during a mission by the Italian navy as part of its Mare Nostrum rescue operation, which is due to end this week. Photograph: Marina Militare/Handout/Reuters

The UK's "more favourable" immigration regime is leading mounting numbers of refugees to try and make their way to Britain from the French port of Calais, the town's mayor has said.

Natacha Bouchart has been under pressure to increase security at the port as refugees camping there make repeated attempts to gain entry to the UK. Continue...

But today she shifted the blame on to the British government, telling the Home Affairs Committee: “You have a much more favourable regime in Britain than in other European countries."

Immigrants were being attracted, she said, by “weekly benefits of £36 that are given to asylum seekers or immigrants… which is a huge amount to people who have nothing.”

Ms Bouchart also called for the border to be moved to British territory “because it is up to you to decide whether you want to welcome these people or not.”

Downing Street this afternoon defended UK immigration policy, saying the Government had taken steps to reduce "pull factors" to the country.

"We have, under this government, introduced a three-month delay before EU jobseekers can access Jobseeker's Allowance, or child benefit, or child tax credit," a Number 10 spokesperson said.

"We're limiting jobseeker benefits to over six months and we will shorten that to three months in the future.

"Entitlement to housing benefit [has been] removed for EU jobseekers. And what we're seeing across the board in the measures that we're taking on immigration is that non-EU net migration is close to its lowest level since 1998."

The row over Calais came as ministers were accused of leaving migrants "to drown" by pulling out of an EU scheme to help with search and rescue missions for immigrants and refugees crossing the Mediterranean.

Foreign Office Minister Baroness Anelay claimed the services simply encouraged more people to attempt the dangerous crossing by creating "an unintended pull factor" for migrants.

An Italian mission is being wound down after saving tens of thousands of migrants and a new EU force will carry out a more limited border security operation.

But the move was slammed today by Amnesty International, who said it represented "a very dark day for the moral standing of the UK".

Shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper also condemned the decision in a statement: "Of course, we should be doing much more to discourage people from trying a dangerous journey in the first place and cracking down on the gangs who are exploiting people's desperation by sending them off in crowded unsafe boats.

"But the idea that you discourage people from coming by leaving them to drown instead is appalling and inhumane.”