𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

British taxpayers have paid for more than 1,000 free hijabs for small boat migrants so far this year, new figures suggest. The Conservatives said it is “an insult to hard-working British taxpayers” to hand out the free head coverings to those “breaking into our country”.

The total is likely to be close to 1,500 now, based on the rate of 162 a month. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp called on the Government to “immediately” stop handing out hijabs to migrants crossing the Channel on dinghies.

He told The Mail on Sunday: “It’s an insult to hard-working British taxpayers that they’re funding religious items for people who have broken into our country. It should not be for us to fund someone else’s religious practices.

“Many illegal immigrants actually hate our values. Many come here for free accommodation and a life on benefits at our expense. Illegal immigrants crossing the channel are breaking into our country. They have no legitimate reason to flee France, which is clearly safe. That’s why we must leave the European Convention on Human Rights so we can deport all illegal immigrants immediately upon arrival.”

A Home Office source told the newspaper the Government has a legal duty to provide basic clothing, including cultural and religious items. More than 19,000 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year — down 42% compared to the same point last year.

Earlier this week, it was confirmed the “one in, one out” migrant deal with France has been scrapped. The Home Office said the pilot scheme is “no longer processing new cases”, after France reportedly demanded a Europe-wide deal instead.

UK ministers would have willingly seen it continue, it is understood. The returns deal was a flagship policy under Sir Keir Starmer who left Number 10 in July.

Under the scheme, people who arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel could be detained and returned to France in exchange for an equivalent number of asylum seekers who applied through a safe and legal route. Some 1,500 asylum seekers had been deported as of October 1, while slightly fewer than that came to Britain from France, it is understood.

Deportation flights will continue in the coming weeks for those who have already been detained. A Home Office spokesman said: “We have made progress tackling the small boats. Crossings are down significantly. We have just recorded the fewest summer arrivals since 2020.”