Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood offered to use British Force vessels to facilitate returns during talks with the government in Paris last month.

But the proposal was declined by President Emmanuel Macron on the basis that UK vessels are "not meant to operate in French territorial waters".

UK and French authorities failed to agree a new beach patrol deal aimed at reducing the number of departures in March, instead signing a £2 million-a-week extension to the current arrangement as a longer-term agreement is fleshed out.

So what do you think? Vote in our poll and join the debate in the comments section.

Two men and two women died off the coast of northern France while trying to cross the Channel by small boat on Thursday, local authorities said.

They died after being swept away by strong currents while trying to board a dinghy, with at least 42 others rescued in the incident off the coast of Boulogne, between Equihen-Plage and Hardelot-Plage.

Francois-Xavier Lauch, prefect of Pas-de-Calais, told reporters: "We sadly have to report four deaths this morning. The people who died were attempting to board a taxi-boat."

The incident came just over a week after two other migrants died in a crossing attempt.

Nearly 5,000 migrants have arrived in the UK by small boat so far this year, according to the latest Home Office data.