Keir Starmer's France deal a laughing stock in Calais as migrants vow to keep crossing

Migrants laugh in the face of Sir Keir Starmer's "groundbreaking" migrant deal as they plan to cross the Channel days after its unveiling.

The pilot scheme, which was announced on Thursday by the Prime Minister and French President Emmanuel Macron, is intended to reduce the number of illegal small boat crossings by introducing a "one in, one out" policy.

However, eager migrants in Calais told the Express they are going to "try anyway", as they boarded buses in life jackets and headed towards the coast in another attempt to reach Britain.

One migrant, who has been living in northern France for five months, told the Express that he had tried to cross the Channel "four or five times" already.

Undeterred by the new policy, he said he plans to try again on Saturday - just 48 hours after the deal concluded.

When asked whether he was aware of the new UK-France scheme, he replied "yeah," before laughing off the suggestion that it might change his plans.

Express reporter Lotti O'Brien asked: "Has it put you off?" He replied: "No."

He added that "you're lucky" if you manage to get on a dinghy to Dover, saying that Britain is his "future".

Another man, part of a group of Channel migrant hopefuls boarding a bus from Gravelines to Calais, also dismissed the deal.

"We will try anyway," he stated.

Under the scheme, illegal immigrants arriving in Britain would be returned to France in exchange for asylum seekers with a family connection in the UK.

In a London news conference with President Macron, Sir Keir said: "Migrants arriving via small boat will be detained and returned to France in short order."In exchange for every return, a different individual will be allowed to come here via a safe route - controlled and legal - subject to strict security checks, and only open to those who have not tried to enter the UK illegally."

Reports suggest that just 50 people per week will be sent to France back across the Channel. This would amount to 17 migrants entering Britain illegally for every one returned to France.

Tory Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticised the plan, saying: "If this is true it amounts to only around 5% of arrivals in the last year. That means 95% of those crossings get to stay, and so there will be no deterrent effect whatsoever."So far this year, more than 21,000 migrants have made the journey - a 50% increase compared to the same period last year - bringing the total number since Sir Kier's premier to 44,000.