The UK government has dismissed suggestions from US President Donald Trump that the military should be deployed to stop asylum seekers crossing the English Channel, insisting that the armed forces must remain focused on national defence.
Speaking during his state visit this week, Trump claimed military intervention was the best way to combat illegal migration, warning that uncontrolled crossings could “destroy countries from within.” He said he had advised Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer that decisive action, including the use of force, was necessary.
However, Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle rejected that idea, telling BBC Breakfast on Friday that the UK Border Force is responsible for securing the country’s borders. “What he suggested was the military are used, but we have the UK Border Force that is now established and has been reinforced and bolstered,” Kyle said. “The navy does have a working relationship with Border Force and can be called upon if needed, but our military needs to focus on key issues around the world directly relating to national defence.”
His comments came as hundreds of migrants attempted the perilous journey across the Channel following a week of poor weather. Six boats are believed to have left northern France early Friday, coinciding with the government’s second deportation under its “one in, one out” agreement with Paris. Under the deal, migrants who arrive illegally in the UK can be returned to France, while Britain accepts an equivalent number of asylum seekers already in the French system.
On Friday morning, an Eritrean man became the second migrant removed under the arrangement, after losing a High Court bid to stop his deportation. The Home Office said it had tightened rules around human trafficking claims to ensure removals proceed more swiftly.
Trump’s remarks highlight the sharp contrast between Washington and London’s approaches to migration. During his first term, the US president deployed troops to assist border security and introduced sweeping asylum restrictions at the southern border. Arrests by US Border Patrol have since fallen.
In the UK, however, ministers remain committed to a legal framework of returns agreements and tighter court procedures rather than military measures. The new Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has pledged to clamp down on “vexatious, last-minute claims” and ensure the pilot returns scheme delivers results. “We’re making sure we get as many people as don’t have the right to be here returned as swiftly as possible,” Kyle said.
Around 100 men who arrived by small boat are currently held in immigration removal centres near Heathrow and could soon be flown back to France. More deportation flights are scheduled for next week, with the government appealing for further powers to speed up removals.
More than 5,500 migrants have crossed the Channel since the Franco-British deal began in August, but ministers hope that consistent deportations will eventually act as a deterrent.
