ANOTHER £35million is to be spent on drones to record migrant boat crossings — despite claims the £100million already splashed out has had little effect.
The boost to Sir Keir Starmer’s flagship Border Security Command group will mean drones are over the Channel for at least 5,000 hours a year.
That is the equivalent of 208 days of continuous operations.
Home Office bosses think their high definition images will help with prosecutions of boat pilots.
Yet The Sun previously revealed only one was caught for every 550 illegal migrants arriving from Calais.
A tender document states: “The Home Office seeks an experienced commercial provider to supply Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems to support the Border Security Command’s Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance operations.”
It says drones will “conduct routine surveillance flights to detect, track, and identify vessels and people”.
And they “will also be required to perform targeted surveillance to record high- quality video footage to support Criminal and Financial Investigation prosecutions”,
The contract will run for up to four years.
Last night, Home Office sources insisted previous drone projects had led to prosecutions.
In 2020, a drone captured clear footage of an overloaded inflatable boat with 20 passengers.
Iraqi Rebwar Ahmed — shown to be steering the dinghy — was jailed for two years and seven months.
The Home Office said: “This government has ramped up disruptions on people smuggling gangs by a third, driving prosecutions up and seeing most cases end in convictions.
“Drone technology has played a crucial role, boosting joint work between UK operational partners and strengthening border security.”
