Desperate staff buy pizza and roll mats for Channel migrants

Demands for Home Office to ‘get a grip’ as staff struggling to cope with Channel migrant surge from a ‘tent in a car park’ in Kent rack up tens of thousands of pounds on takeaway pizza, Subway meals, roll mats and blankets for new arrivals

  • Home Office figures reveal spending to cope with number of Channel migrants
  • Official cards used to buy pizza, roll mats and blankets for new arrivals in Kent
  • Notes attached to transparency log brand processing base a ‘tent in a car park’  

The extraordinary scale of the Channel migrant operation is underlined today with figures showing staff have racked up tens of thousands of pounds on official cards for takeaway pizza, Subway meals, roll mats and blankets.  

The Home Office is being urged to ‘get a grip’ after spending logs showed the strain of coping with the unprecedented numbers risking the potentially deadly crossing from France. 

More than 28,000 have navigated the 21-mile Dover Strait this year – and tragically not all who tried have made it safely. 

Border Force officers have struggled to deal with the level of arrivals, with some complaining that the temporary Tug Haven base being used for initial processing is just a ‘tent in a car park’.

Desperate staff have resorted to putting in huge orders from Dominos and Subway to feed migrants, as well as bulk-buying blankets and roll mats for them to sleep on.

The Home Office is being urged to ‘get a grip’ after spending logs showed the strain of coping with the unprecedented numbers risking the potentially deadly crossing from France

More than 28,000 have navigated the 21-mile Dover Strait this year – and tragically not all who tried have made it safely

Border Force officers have struggled to deal with the level of arrivals on the Kent Coast, with some complaining that the temporary Tug Haven base being used for initial processing (pictured) is just a ‘tent in a car park’

A group of migrants are brought to shore in Dover on a Border Force vessel earlier this month

Large sums have also been spent on instant camera film to snap photographs of arrivals for ID purposes. 

Home Secretary Priti Patel has been trying to quell the numbers crossing the Channel by providing funds for France to step up enforcement, as well as considering a range of tactics including attempts to turn boats around at sea.

However, there is little sign of the issue abating with people desperate to find sanctuary and a better life in the UK, often after fleeing war zones and barbaric regimes.  

The Home Office regularly publishes details of spending above £500 using departmental procurement cards.

Natalie Elphicke, Tory MP for Dover, told MailOnline: ‘These shocking figures are only a small slice of the cost of the migrant crisis’

The staff needed to manage the migrants have also required feeding, which has seemingly been bought in bulk from local eateries at significant cost

It is only a small portion of the wider costs of responding to the crisis. 

But the register shows that in August and September alone, nearly £32,000 went on food for newly-landed migrants. 

On September 27 and 28 five transactions were listed with Dominos in Dover, totalling £7,915.

A note attached to the cost says there was ‘no other option’ because Tug Haven ‘does not have a kitchen’. 

Another Dominos order from September 23 came to £2,748.75. 

On August 23 £942 was spent at Subway to provide sustenance for arrivals, and thousands of pounds more has gone on bottled water.

On September 6 and 7, huge orders for rollmats went in for migrants ‘overnighting at Tug Haven’ – totalling £2,789.

On the last day of August more than £5,500 of blankets were purchased, while on September 13 there was a £1,719.50 bill for camera film as every migrant must have an instant photo snapped on arrival. 

The staff needed to manage the migrants have also required feeding, which has seemingly been bought in bulk from local eateries at significant cost. 

There was also a £1,409.10 bill for ‘several tows and boatlifts of migrant vessels at Ramsgate’.

Natalie Elphicke, Tory MP for Dover, told MailOnline: ‘These shocking figures are only a small slice of the cost of the migrant crisis. 

‘From pizzas to polaroids the Home Office needs to get a grip.

‘Taxpayers deserve a better deal. This money, and the millions spent on housing and other costs would be better spent strengthening our borders. 

‘It’s time to stop the small boat crossings.’

A Home Office spokeswoman said: ‘We are committed to delivering the best value for money for the British taxpayer. 

‘We ensure all spending is carefully scrutinised to make sure that every pound of taxpayers’ money is spent in the most effective way.’

How spending on Channel migrant crisis racked up in August and September

The Home Office regularly publishes details of spending above £500 using departmental procurement cards.

It is only a small portion of the wider costs of responding to the crisis.

Here are the details for August and September: 

SEPTEMBER 

19/9/2021 – £1,003.30 Food Supplies For Operational Officers At Tug Haven

30/09/2021 – £1,409.10 Payment For Several Tows And Boatlifts Of Migrant Vessels At Ramsgate

06/09/2021 Go Outdoors – £500.00 Purchase Of 50 Rolls Mats For Use At Tug Have By Migrants Who Have To Sleep Overnight. Instructed By HO personnel To Purchase Them For Level 1 Day Following

06/09/2021 – Go Outdoors – rollmats for sleeping on – £1490.00

07/09/2021 – £799.00 – Part Order Of Rollmats To Support Migrants Overnighting At Tug Haven.

07/09/2021 – SumUp Cinque Ports C – £1108.60 – Hot Food For Staff During Op Altair

08/09/2021 – £1,123.20 – Food Provisions For Staff Welfare When Dealing With Channel Migrant Issues On Extended Shifts And High Arrival Numbers.

09/09/2021 LA FRIENDS PIZZERIA – £519.00 – Hot Food For Migrants Staying Overnight At The Tug Haven During Op Altair

10/09/2021 SumUp Cinque Ports – £940.90 – Food Purchased For Staff At Tug Haven. This Has Been Authorised By HO personnel

13/09/2021 AMAZON – £1,719.50 – Camera Film Purchased By The Clandestine Operational Response Team (Cort) For Use At The Tug Haven In Dover Where We Have Migrants Arriving On Small Boats. All Migrants Require An Instant Photo Taken On Arrival

13/09/2021 SPRINGWISEBOTTLEDW – £503.16 – Provision Of Bottled Water For Migrants And Officers At Tug Haven Site.

13/09/2021 SumUp Cinque Ports – £1,125.80 – Food Provisions For Staff Welfare When Dealing With Channel Migrant Issues On Extended Shifts And High Arrival Numbers

13/09/2021 UNIVERSEALK – £540.00 – Provision Of Property Tags – Tug Haven, Dover.

15/09/2021 POLYBAGS LIMITED – £906.18 – Provision Of Property Bags At Tug Haven, Dover. Unavailable Via Existing Contract

16/09/2021 SumUp Cinque Ports – £802.60 – Food Provisions For Staff Welfare When Dealing With Channel Migrant Issues On Extended Shifts And High Arrival Numbers

20/09/2021 SumUp Cinque Ports C – £939.60 – Staff Catering Van For Level 1 Stand Up Day

22/09/2021 SumUp Cinque Ports – £915.40 – Provision Of Hot Food For Officers Working At Tug Haven

23/09/2021 Dominos (Dover) – £2,748.75 – Hot Food For Migrants Staying Overnight At Tug Haven During Op Altair

23/09/2021 SumUp Cinque Ports – £1,092.00 – Hot Food For Staff During Op Altair

24/09/2021 POLYBAGS LIMITED – £888.29 – Property Bags, Tug Haven, Dover – Unavailable Via Existing Contract

24/09/2021 SumUp Cinque Ports – £715.30 – Hot Food Provision For Officers Working At Tug Haven, Dover

27/09/2021 Dominos (Dover) – £872.07 – Provision Of Hot Food For Migrants At Tug Haven Site, Dover

27/09/2021 Dominos (Dover) – £1,686.45 – Hot Food Requirement For Migrants Spending Overnight At Tug Haven

27/09/2021 Dominos (Dover) – £1,700.00 – Food For Migrants Being Detained At Tug Haven Overnight. Th Does Not Have A Kitchen Facility, So There Are No Other Options. This Purchase Was Ordered by authorised staff.

27/09/2021 SPRINGWISEBOTTLEDW – £503.16 – Bottled Water Supply. Tug Haven. Dover.

28/09/2021 Dominos (Dover) – £514.00 – Pizzas For Migrants Held Overnight At Tug Haven Due To Not Being Able To Move Them On To Accommodation Within The Home Office Estate. Tug Haven Is A Tent In A Car Park

28/09/2021 – Dominos (Dover) – £3,143.00 – Food For Migrants Held Overnight At Tug Haven Due To No On Going Facilities In The Home Office Estate. Tug Haven Is A Tent In A Car Park So Therefore So Other Means Of Feeding Them

AUGUST

10/08/2021 ENTERPRISE BRANDS – £1,292.67 – Urgent Food Provision For Migrants At Tug Haven, Dover.

10/08/2021 ENTERPRISE BRANDS – £1,499.82 – Urgent Food Provision For Migrants At Tug Haven, Dover.

10/08/2021 ENTERPRISE BRANDS – £2,045.40 Urgent Food Provision For Migrants At Tug Haven, Dover.

10/08/2021 ENTERPRISE BRANDS – £2,325.93 Urgent Food Provision For Migrants At Tug Haven, Dover.

10/08/2021 ENTERPRISE BRANDS – £2,829.21 Urgent Food Provision For Migrants At Tug Haven, Dover.

12/08/2021 ENTERPRISE BRANDS- £2,875.45 – Urgent Food Provision For Migrants At Tug Haven, Dover.

12/08/2021 ENTERPRISE BRANDS – £4,622.21 – Urgent Food Provision For Migrants At Tug Haven, Dover.

13/08/2021 Dominos (Dover) – £1,231.75 – Urgent Food Provision For Migrants At Tug Haven, Dover.

23/08/2021 Dominos (Dover) – £2,100.00 – Evening Food For Migrants Spending The Late Evening On Tug Haven

23/08/2021 SUBWAY – £9,42.00 – Urgent Food Provision For Migrants At Tug Haven, Dover.

26/08/2021 BOOKER LIMITED FOLKEST – £760.12 – Provisions For Migrants At Staff At Tug Haven

31/08/2021 CRITICAL HEALTHCARE – £2,771.08 – Blankets For Migrants Who Are Cold And Have In Sea

31/08/2021 CRITICAL HEALTHCARE – £2,771.08 – Blankets For Migrants Who Are Cold And Have In Sea

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