Shabana Mahmood is bracing for another chaotic day on the Channel, with up to 700 migrants feared to be crossing in dinghies.

Border Force vessel Defender is bringing in dozens of asylum seekers to Dover, while a lifeboat has been deployed to another crossing.

This cohort will arrive in Kent later, while French warships are patrolling as far south as Rue as fears intensify over smugglers expanding their routes into the UK.

It represents a significant intensification in patrols in that region, with three navy vessels between Fort-Mahon-Plage and Le Touquet.

More than 300 illegal immigrants have already reached UK waters.

At least 400 others are believed to be still in French waters attempting to cross.

One maritime security source told GB News: “What we’re seeing here is a full-frontal assault by the criminal gangs.

“For weeks, they’ve been frustrated by increased police patrols, hampering their ability to launch boats from their regular push-off points around Calais and Dunkirk.

“That’s forced a switch in tactics, with most launches happening up to a hundred miles south of Dunkirk, around the Dieppe area.”

The source added: “What we’re seeing is the kind of surge tactics we haven’t seen in the Channel for quite some time.

“It’s an attempt to overwhelm and stretch the French police.

“Even with the millions of pounds of extra funding the French are getting from the UK, they still can’t be everywhere at once.

“And there’s no doubt this has worked today. Hundreds have already managed to cross, and the day is far from over.”

It comes after smugglers attempted a record crossing – from Fecamp.

Dozens of migrants were detected off the coast of Eastbourne, prompting fears of a “completely new route” opening up.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are bearing down on small boat crossings, with removals of small boat migrants at record levels and asylum claims down by 12%.

“The Home Secretary has signed a landmark new deal with France to boost enforcement action on beaches and put people smugglers behind bars. This builds on joint work that has stopped over 46,000 attempted crossings since the election.

“We have removed or deported almost 70,000 people who were here illegally – an increase of 41% – and are going further to remove the incentives that draw illegal migrants to this country.”

Prime Minister Andy Burnham insisted Labour’s plan to end the Channel migrant crisis is “working”.

But Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, who was out on the Channel on Tuesday, said: “Basically, the French coastguard and the British coastguard and British Border Force were co-ordinating with each other.

“The French coastguard and the French maritime authorities … were escorting the migrant dinghy from that location.

“They were escorting it to the median line, 50 or so miles north in the English Channel, and they were co-ordinating with the lifeboat in Eastbourne and Border Force vessels in Ramsgate, who then came down from Ramsgate and from Eastbourne to meet the illegal migrant dinghy halfway and pick up the illegal immigrants, and then they ferried them to Dover.

“That is a completely new route. It’s the furthest south and the furthest west they’ve ever gone, and it’s the longest crossing they’ve attempted.”