Albanian people smugglers have been using TikTok to openly mock Britain's border controls while advertising £2,500-a-head Channel crossings. The now-deleted accuont, 'Eagles,' shared videos showing migrants laughing and smiling as they traveled to Britain on dinghies, with one clip even featuring a voiceover joking about arriving at 'London Bridge.' The smugglers also used a clip of Jacob Rees-Mogg discussing the likelihood of migrants staying in Britain to promote their services.

The £2,500 price tag for a 'trip to London Bridge'

The TikTok account 'Eagles' advertised Channel crossings from Calais to Dover for £2,500, with videos showing migrants appearing to enjoy their journey. One video featured a voiceover saying, 'The next station is London Bridge, please mind the gap between the train and the platform,' as migrants laughed on a dinghy. According to the Daily Mail, the account had tens of thousands of views before it was taken down.

Jacob Rees-Mogg's words used as a selling point

The smuggles used a clip of Jacob Rees-Mogg, a former Conservative MP, to promote their services. In the video, Rees-Mogg is seen telling a TV interviewer that small boat migrants who succeed in crossing the Channel are 'basically going to be here for life.' The footage was overlaid with an advertisement for journeys from 'Calais to Dover' for £2,500. Rees-Mogg's remarks were used to suggest that migrants have a high chance of staying in Britain, making the risky journey worthwhile.

Britain's 'soft touch' reputation among smugglers

Research Director at the Centre for Migration Control said, 'Illegal migrants are openly laughing at Britain's non-existent border controls. The message being conveyed is very clear: we are a soft touch.' This sentiment is echoed in the smugglers' videos,where migrants appear relaxed and even amused during their journey. The UK's reputation for being lenient on border controls seems to be a major draw for both migrants and smugglers.

The 200,000th Channel migrant and rising numbers

Last week saw the arrival of the 200,000th Channel migrant since the start of the small boat crisis in January 2018. chris Philp, shadow home secretary, noted that since the election, illegal immigrant numbers crossing the channel are up 45 percent. He also pointed out that the inept Labour government is only removing less than 5 percent of illegal channel crossers, meaning 95 percent get to stay, accommodated in hotels at taxpayers' expense.

France's role and the £660 million deal

The UK government has agreed to pay France £660 million over three years to help curb Channel crossings. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood agreed to give Emmanuel Macron's government a 'core package' of £500 million to continue funding anti-migrant operations by French police.. An additional £160 million will be handed over to fund new tactics, including stopping dinghies once they are already in the water. However, a previous three-year, £500 million deal agreed in 2023 saw over 84 ,000 migrants reach Britain.