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There are fears traffickers behind a rise in recent arrivals will attempt to use the warm weekend weather to launch a series of further illegal crossings.Border Force patrols intercepted small boats in the Channel on five consecutive days last week with 130 brought into Dover. Last Tuesday 63 migrants crammed in four small dinghies were stopped. This followed 56 who arrived on the previous Saturday, April 4. The total rescued this year now stands at more than 630.

Immigration Minister Chris Philp said: Coronavirus has not had an impact on our ability to respond to Channel crossings and Border Force and Immigration Enforcement will always be given the resources they need to do their jobs.

We must be absolutely clear: these crossings are facilitated by dangerous, malicious, criminals, taking advantage of the desperate situations that many people find themselves in. They do not care about the safety of the people they traffic.

Our mission remains the preservation of life but we must also deter these crossings and return those who make this dangerous journey.

The coronavirus crisis that has swept across Europe has had little effect on the number of illegal camps in northern France from where migrants are preyed on by smuggling gangmasters. The majority are Iranian, Iraqi and Libyan nationals.

There are concerns that some of those living in migrant camps in France have been infected with the deadly virus and could potentially spread the disease with contact from border and immigration officials when they arrive at Dovers Western Docks.

NatalieElphicke, the Tory MP for Dover, said: "Every illegal entrant must be immediately returned to France. If they are not returned, they must immediately be quarantined to protect public health.

"It is essential that we put a stop to this appalling trafficking trade and protect vulnerable people from making these dangerous crossings.

We already have territorial agreements for border controls and these should be extended. Its in Frances interest too because they dont want Calais to become a migrant magnet again.

Today the Daily Express can reveal French police have stopped more than 100 migrants risking their lives by attempting to reach the UK in a small boat in the past three weeks.

Despite the closure of the notorious Calais Jungle camp in 2016 - which was once home to around 10,000 migrants - smaller encampments still exist.

Since January 2019 Immigration Enforcement has convicted and imprisoned 111 people smugglers and more than 155 people who arrived here on small boats have been returned.

The Home Office said that during the same period 879 incidents of trafficking-related organised immigration crime had been disrupted.

Mr Philp said: My message to the criminals, who may be hoping that this pandemic means we will not take action, is that you cannot be further from the truth.

We wont let the gangs smuggling vulnerable people into the UK, get away with it. We will enforce the law. We will seek justice. And we will always seek the return of anyone in the country illegally.

Gangs facilitating illegal crossings of the Channel are criminals.

Even in the uncertain times that we are living in as we fight to stop the spread of coronavirus keeping our border secure from dangerous criminals looking to exploit it, is my highest priority.

My message to the criminals, who may be hoping that this pandemic means we will not take action, is that you cannot be further from the truth.

We wont let the gangs smuggling vulnerable people into the UK, get away with it.

We will enforce the law. We will seek justice.

And we will always seek the return of anyone in the country illegally.

Coronavirus has not had an impact on our ability to respond to Channel crossings and Border Force and Immigration Enforcement will always be given the resources they need to do their jobs.

Because we must be absolutely clear. These crossings are facilitated by dangerous, malicious, criminals, taking advantage of the desperate situations that many people find themselves in. They do not care about the safety of the people they traffic.

Our mission remains the preservation of life but we must also deter these crossings and return those who make this dangerous journey.

That is why we are working closely with partners in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. The Home Secretary and her French counterpart, Christophe Castaner, have reaffirmed their commitment to tackling this issue since the outbreak of coronavirus.

And in the last three weeks French police have stopped over 100 migrants from risking their lives by seeking to get to the UK using a small boat.

We are working around the clock with the National Crime Agency and French law enforcement agencies to arrest and dismantle the organised crime gangs who facilitate these crossings.

This approach is working. Since January 2019, Immigration Enforcement has convicted and imprisoned 111 people smugglers and over 155 people who arrived on small boats have been returned. In the same period, we have disrupted 879 occasions of organised immigration crime.

And thats not all, there are now extra patrols on French beaches, drones, specialist vehicles and detection equipment to stop small boats leaving European shores.

Id like to pay tribute to the work of our Border Force and Immigration Enforcement workers who are doing a fantastic job on the frontline in these uncertain times.

It is not an easy job and while there is much uncertainty around the country, they have gone about their work with professionalism and diligence.

We will continue to strictly follow Public Health Englands guidance and will make sure that they have the support and relevant Personal Protective Equipment available to them.

And to those criminals exploiting peoples desperate situations, we will not rest in our efforts to stop you and bring you to justice.

Chris Philp is Minister for Immigration Compliance and Courts

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Gangs using coronavirus crisis to send migrants to UK as 130 brought to Dover in week - Express.co.uk