PRITI Patel has come under fire for blaming social media posts for an increase in migrant crossings.
The Home Secretary said social media companies must act urgently to remove online posts which “glamourise” the crossings.
She said online videos promoting “lethal crossings” are “totally unacceptable”.
She has written to social media firms calling on them to do more to remove such clips.
Patel has repeatedly vowed to make the dangerous route across the English Channel “unviable”, but crossings have surged.
Almost 600 migrants were intercepted attempting to cross the Channel in three days this week.
READ MORE: Home Office system change leaves ‘thousands of asylum seekers without support'
Patel’s letter, sent on Saturday, follows a viral video posted on TikTok which the Home Office said appeared to show a group of men crossing the Channel in a dinghy.
Similar posts have appeared on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and are used by people smugglers to promote crossings to desperate migrants, the Home Office added.
Patel said: “Posts which promote and even glamourise these lethal crossings are totally unacceptable. They encourage others to leave a safe European country and put theirs and their family’s life at risk and are even used by people smugglers to promote their deadly business.
“What these posts don’t mention are the people who have died trying to make this crossing, or those forced to spend 13 hours in unseaworthy boats in freezing waters.
“Working with the National Crime Agency, social media companies have made progress in removing these horrendous posts, but they must quickly and proactively remove posts related to illegal crossings before more men, women and children die in the Channel. Now is the time to act before it is too late.”
A spokesman for Facebook said: “People smuggling is illegal and any ads, posts, pages or groups that co-ordinate this activity are not allowed on Facebook. We will continue to work closely with law enforcement agencies around the world including the NCA and Europol to identify, remove and report this illegal activity.”
READ MORE: Refugee NHS worker hits out at Priti Patel's immigration plans
Patel was fiercely criticised for the plans.
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: “This Government’s approach to tackling Channel crossings isn’t working and is destined to fail.
“The reality is that when fleeing war, terror and persecution, ordinary people are forced to take extraordinary steps to seek safety in another country.
“Instead of relying solely on an enforcement approach to stop the crossings, this Government needs to expand safe routes so that people don’t have to risk their lives taking dangerous journeys at the mercy of criminals and people smugglers.
“Creating safe and regular routes to the UK – through an expanded resettlement programme, humanitarian visas and reforming the restrictive family reunion rules – is the way to effectively address the issue.”
Daniel Sohege, the director of human rights organisation Stand For All, said: "Removing footage of channel crossings from social media will do absolutely nothing. @pritipatel is making out asylum seekers are just coming to the UK for fun. The only way you can undermine criminal gangs is by opening safe routes for refugees so they aren't forced to use them."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Removing footage of channel crossings from social media will do absolutely nothing. <a href="https://twitter.com/pritipatel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pritipatel</a> is making out asylum seekers are just coming to the UK for fun. The only way you can undermine criminal gangs is by opening safe routes for refugees so they aren't forced to use them.</p>— Daniel Sohege (@stand_for_all) <a href="https://twitter.com/stand_for_all/status/1401450842306322434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Others said the Hole Secretary's hostile immigration policy is what has led to a surge in crossings.
1.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I see that Priti Patel is now blaming Facebook, Twitter and Tiktok for migrant Channel crossings. I’m old enough to remember when it was France a few months and and the EU last year</p>— Kevin Maguire (@Kevin_Maguire) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kevin_Maguire/status/1401458522487934977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
2.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Priti Patel saying that social media videos of terrified refugees on dinghies 'glamorises' Channel crossings? Sorry what</p>— Rachael Davis (@_rachaelbdavis) <a href="https://twitter.com/_rachaelbdavis/status/1401457215446339591?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
3.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Priti Patel’s take on what constitutes ‘glamour’ is very different to mine. I see a dozen men crammed into a tiny dinghy, she sees the ‘Rio’ video.</p>— Craig Austin (@TheCraigAustin) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheCraigAustin/status/1401489497720856577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
4.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Priti Patel blames videos on TikTok, Facebook and Twitter as migrant Channel crossings surge - The Independent<br><br>That’s perverse. <a href="https://t.co/Q0bz36a3cY">https://t.co/Q0bz36a3cY</a></p>— Dr Teck Khong (@DrTeckKhong) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrTeckKhong/status/1401439076046315527?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
5.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Even my dog is more clued-up on the subject. <a href="https://t.co/PvCj1qveVJ">https://t.co/PvCj1qveVJ</a></p>— SorLuca 🇪🇺 🌈 (@AlarmBell) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlarmBell/status/1401471685275041797?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
6.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Priti Patel blames Facebook, Twitter and TikTok for the soaring number of migrants. A new low from our Home Secretary. There is nothing glamorous about human beings risking their lives out of sheer desperation and a country coldly turning its back on them <a href="https://t.co/1KR1nVxytl">https://t.co/1KR1nVxytl</a></p>— Nushra Mansuri (@NushraMansuri) <a href="https://twitter.com/NushraMansuri/status/1401456957756674051?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
7.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">She should be blaming her hostile immigration policy & her brutal removal of safe passage <a href="https://t.co/cteeM5vp1r">https://t.co/cteeM5vp1r</a></p>— tweetyburd 💙 (@tweetyburd11) <a href="https://twitter.com/tweetyburd11/status/1401444606508732416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
8.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ought someone to tell her the only reason people take to a dangerous shipping lane in unsafe boats is that there is no legal alternative ...<br><br>Priti Patel blames videos on TikTok, Facebook and Twitter as migrant Channel crossings surge <a href="https://t.co/pGGX4jnvU4">https://t.co/pGGX4jnvU4</a></p>— David Parris (@DavidPa03067190) <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidPa03067190/status/1401501449079726081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Meanwhile, the Home Office is investigating an incident in which migrants attempting to cross the English Channel were reportedly picked up in French waters by the UK Border Force and taken to Dover.
The move was orchestrated between senior crew members of HMC Valiant and French patrol ship Athos last Saturday, the Daily Mail reported.
In terms of recent crossings, the Home Office confirmed that the French authorities dealt with eight incidents involving 130 people on Friday, with the UK dealing with four boats involving 83 people.
This follows 201 people being stopped by Border Force officers in eight incidents on Thursday.
And the French authorities intercepted nine crossings on Wednesday and Thursday preventing 171 people from reaching the UK.
This makes a total of 585 attempting to make the crossing in just three days.
The number of people crossing the 21-mile stretch of water has almost doubled so far in 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, with more than 3100 having reached the English coast by the end of May.
Anti-immigration demonstrations were held in Dover last weekend with protesters blocking access to key trade terminals.
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