PRITI Patel called up a former Royal Marine last night to spearhead action against illegal migrants crossing the Channel.
The Home Secretary appointed a “small boats commander” with the job of intercepting boats and combatting people smugglers.
Dan O’Mahoney, an expert in ship-to-ship operations, has been put in charge of a massive new mission to stop dinghies and other small vessels sailing to Britain’s shores from France.
The ex-commando is under orders to collaborate closely with the French to draw up stronger joint enforcement measures.
He was drafted in after the number of migrants to complete the crossing this year hit 3,950 — more than double the figure for the whole of 2019.
Officially known as the “Clandestine Channel Threat Commander”, he takes on a new role leading the UK’s response to the crisis.
Ms Patel said: “The number of illegal small boat crossings is appalling.
“Dan’s appointment is vital to cutting this route by bringing together all operational partners in the UK and France.
“This is a complex problem but across government we are working to address many of these long-standing issues and make this route unviable by arresting the criminals facilitating these crossings and making sure they’re brought to justice.”
Commander O’Mahoney, who served with the Marines in operational deployments in Kosovo and Iraq, will direct Border Force patrol boats, which will be given limited Royal Navy back-up.
He will work on improving intelligence to intercept boats before they sail — and nail organised crime gangs behind people trafficking.
But perhaps just as important will be his role in dealing with the French authorities, whom Tory MPs have accused of doing too little to stop craft crammed with migrants from leaving their shores.
