A people smuggler has said Britain will need to deport 2,000 migrants per week to France to put an end to his business. A total of 31,031 people have crossed the English Channel so far this year, with several more arriving in Dover on Friday.

New Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has vowed to do “whatever it takes” to end the crossings, but 2025 still looks on course to be a record year for numbers. This week saw three people removed from Britain under the Government’s “one-in, one-out” deal with France, which aims at stopping small boats crossing. Former soldier and aid worker, Rob Lawrie, co-presenter of the To Catch a Scorpion podcast, tracked down one of Europe’s most-wanted people smugglers.

He told the BBC he had spoken to a people smuggler in Germany last week who doubted Britain’s ability to have an effect on the business.

Mr Lawrie said: “He says the UK would need to be sending back at least 2,000 people a week, and even if the UK sent 2,000 people back, we could send 2,000 a day.”

The podcast co-host said the smuggler boasted his gang would soon deploy 18 metre long boats in the English Channel, which would boost the number of migrants per vessel.

His comments came on the day it emerged that a flight scheduled for today (September 20) to bring asylum seekers from France to Britain under the “one-in, one-out” deal was cancelled. The Home Office said the flight would happen next week instead.

Three men have been sent back to France under the deal so far: an Iranian man and an Eritrean man were removed on Friday and an Indian man was deported on Thursday.

Ministers have praised the returns, with Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy saying they provided an “immediate deterrent” to people seeking to cross the Channel.

The Government intends to increase the number of people being sent back under the pilot deal over the coming months.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp attacked the deal as providing “no deterrent effect whatsoever”. He described the numbers returned as “pathetic” and said “boasting about it is absurd”.

US President Donald Trump suggested during his second state visit to the UK earlier this week that Britain should use the military to end the small boats crisis.

The Government has rejected his advice, with Business Secretary Peter Kyle saying the military should be defending Britain and it wouldn’t be the best use for the armed forces.

Britain is said to be engaged in secret talks with EU countries to prevent judges from rejecting deportation cases of illegal migrants and foreign criminals, according to The Times.

The publication cited diplomatic sources as it reported that 15 or more governments are engaged in regular talks on ways to protect migration policies.