So there’s the truth of it: French authorities are waving off migrants floating in the English Channel and telling them: “The UK will see you in an hour.” In an extraordinary case, French officials reportedly stopped a rubber boat packed with some 100 people and, after removing just 24 of them to help keep it “afloat”, told the rest to wait for the British coastguard and Border Force to escort them onwards to claim asylum.

You can just imagine the glee of the 76 occupants given free passage to our shores. Not to mention the smug smiles of those sending them on their way – au revoir and bonne chance, because you’re off our hands now. The incident happened at Gravelines near Calais earlier this year and, frankly, shows exactly why more than 4,000 small boat migrants have arrived in Britain since the start of March alone (seven people died while crossing).

Despite Labour's much-vaunted promise to “smash the gangs”, the system is broken. How do we know this? Certainly not thanks to UK officials, who I’d hoped would be protesting loudly to the French (as if!), but thanks to a newspaper investigation.

Meanwhile, official figures reveal 6,406 people have successfully made it to Britain on board 115 boats this year, up almost 40% on previous arrivals. Last Wednesday alone, some 357 people in six inflatable dinghies were picked up.

This cannot go on. It’s all very well for ministers to clutch their pearls and promise legislation but, until the French start taking this seriously and stopping boats, nothing will change. Ever. The number of people who want to come here illegally, and are prepared to pay the people smugglers, is infinite.

We must find other solutions, urgently. Mass migration of all forms is damaging community cohesion and making us poorer. We can’t afford to keep bankrolling tens of thousands of illegal migrants. And it’s not remotely racist to state that as truth.