Cabinet Office Minister Sally Jameson has been shut down by GB News host Mark White after claiming that the Labour Government has prevented "46,000 crossings" from reaching Britain.
Speaking to the People's Channel, the Labour MP was challenged by Mark, telling Ms Jameson that the Government is "obsessed" with one singular figure rather than solving the migrant crisis as a whole.
Reacting to the record mega dinghy carring 230 illegal migrants across the Channel, Ms Jameson told GB News: "No one wants to see those scenes, it's absolutely abhorrent what the criminal gangs are doing, especially when we see children are being put on those boats as well.
"I don't think it's fair to say that we've been ignoring this issue. We've made huge improvements in this area already, 46,000 crossings were stopped as a result of our deal with the French."
She continued: "In July, we had the lowest number of crossings we've had for the last six years, and 70,000 people with no right to be here have been deported since we came into office, so a huge amount of work has been done.
"But of course, there is a lot more to do, and I know that the Home Secretary and the Home Office team are working flat out to make sure that we are tackling the root cause of this and the gangs that are behind it, and making sure as well that we see real progress month on month, which we have been doing."
Hitting back at Ms Jameson, Mark told the MP: "The Government obsesses with this 46,000 people stopped by the French. It's meaningless.
"It effectively is just delaying them because you just disappear back off into the dunes, meet up with another people smuggler and then try again. All you're doing is delaying them?"
Ms Jameson disagreed, telling GB News: "No, I don't accept that, and I think it's important to stress that the Government is working on this day in and day out to make sure we see progress, and progress has been seen.
"And look, I'm not sitting here and telling you that it's job done because obviously it's far from job done, this is not easy, but we're taking difficult decisions.
"We'll bring forward more action in the coming months as well to make sure that we're tackling this issue."
She assured that the crisis is a "top priority" for Prime Minister Andy Burnham: "But it's not this just this country that's seeing this problem, it's happening in lots and lots of other places, too.
"And so our response is continually having to change to respond to what the criminal gangs are doing.
"But Andy Burnham, the Home Secretary, and the whole Government is absolutely committed to making sure that this is a top priority."
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Turning to Labour's early release scheme, Mark questioned Ms Jameson on the case of PC Andrew Harper and the Prime Minister's plea to try and block his killers from walking free.
Asked why the two criminals are not exempt for early release as part of Harper's Law, the MP told GB News: "Myself and Andy Burnham as well, we all totally sympathise and understand the feelings of victims in this case, and I think because Andy Burnham feels, as everyone else does, about this, he's asked the justice secretary to look at options in order to stop these two killers getting out.
"In relation to the specific issue you raise around Harper's Law, that was brought in after these killers were sentenced, and therefore it can't be retrospectively applied, which is what makes it more complicated.
"But I know that the Prime Minister and the Justice Secretary are absolutely determined to find a way forward, to make sure that we can stop that particular release."
Delivering an update on the early release scheme reforms, the Prime Minister has assured that he is "confident" that "more can be done" to block the early release of PC Harper's killers.
He told GB News: "I've heard the depth of concern felt across the country about the potential release of the killers of PC Andrew Harper, and obviously, I feel for the family and the anguish that they're that they're going through.
"What I have done since I came into office is pushed the system every single day to go further. I've not accepted it's impossible to do more, I believe there is more that can be done.
"I won't give up and I believe there is more I can do."
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