Home Office ministers and civil servants on frontline of small boat  Channel crossings under fire over plans to spend nearly £4.5million on electric car chargers instead of tackling the crisis - as 250 more migrants arrive

Published: 15:05, 18 August 2026 | Updated: 15:27, 18 August 2026 Ministers and civil servants on the frontline of tackling the small boats crisis came under fire today over plans to splash millions of pounds on electric car chargers. Nearly £4.5 million has been earmarked for the Net Zero gadgets to be installed at Home Office buildings to help staff go ‘green’. But it sparked a furious backlash as critics said officials, who have struggled to get to grips with relentless Channel crossings, should focus all their resources on tackling the crisis. It came as another 250 migrants on three boats arrived on Monday, taking the total since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister around a month ago to nearly 3,500. In recent weeks a string of ‘mega-dinghies’ carrying more than 100 migrants at a time have also reached UK shores as smugglers shift their tactics. One vessel arrived last week carrying a staggering 230 migrants, comfortably smashing the previous record of 165 aboard one vessel on July 23. The spend came to light today in a written Parliamentary question, with Home Office minister Sarah Jones saying more than £500,000 was splurged on installing electric car chargers in 2024/25. One vessel arrived last week carrying a staggering 230 migrants, comfortably smashing the previous record of 165 aboard one vessel on July 23  Nearly £4.5 million has been earmarked for EV chargers to be installed at Home Office buildings to help staff go ‘green’  The Tories’ shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Labour was 'wasting time and money on electric car charging points' and had 'no idea how to control our borders'  The department plans to ramp this up to £1million this year and annually until 2029, bringing the total earmarked spend to £4.4 million. In response to the Tories’ shadow transport secretary Richard Holden, she added: ‘The Government has set a target for all vehicles in the central government fleet to be zero-emission by the end of 2027. ‘This transition predominantly impacts operational vehicles used by Immigration Enforcement, Border Force and Border Security Command. ‘To support this transition, Home Office Property Services has been commissioned to install EV charging infrastructure at Home Office buildings to enable the charging of electric fleet vehicles.’ She said the cost includes ‘design and installation’ of charging points and ‘associated legal fees’. But the Tories’ shadow home secretary Chris Philp blasted: ‘It could not be clearer that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s Home Office has no idea how to control our borders. ‘Instead, they are wasting time and money on electric car charging points. ‘The Home Secretary should focus on getting the day job right - which she is lamentably failing to do. ‘We need a proper plan to end illegal immigration. ‘We need to leave the European Convention on Human Rights, which would enable us to deport all illegal immigrants within a week of arrival. This should be the priority - not electric car charging points.’ Mr Holden added: ‘Families will wonder why Labour’s Home Office is finding millions of pounds for EV charging infrastructure when Britain’s borders remain under such enormous pressure. ‘Conservatives would focus taxpayers’ money on the public’s priorities, securing our borders and keeping the country safe.’ Labour has dismissed calls to leave the ECHR and instead focused on trying to ‘smash the gangs’ under former Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Mr Burnham has revealed little about what his strategy is for stopping the boats, choosing to leave the issue out of his maiden speech on the steps of Downing Street on July 20. But he has said ministers will look at ‘changing our tactics’ to tackle the rise of mega-dinghies being used. The average number of migrants crammed onto small boats has more than doubled over five years to a record high under Labour, from 28 per vessel in 2021 to nearly 70 so far this year. According to the French maritime prefecture of the Channel, 15 boats carrying more than 100 people and one carrying more than 200 have attempted to cross this year. Since Labour came to power in July 2024, more than 80,000 migrants have arrived on Channel small boats. The Home Office was contacted for comment.