A government scheme to donate dinghies and small boats used by asylum seekers to cross the Channel to charities and other groups, has yet to see any handed over, it has emerged.

Ministers pledged in 2020 to bring in arrangements to allow boats confiscated by Border Force officials to be handed over to organisations, such as the sea scouts and RNLI.

But the scheme has yet to get off the ground, according to a response to a Freedom of Information made by KentOnline to the Border Force.

The Home Office says the government is still in the process of assessing the scheme as boats taken from asylum seekers are kept under lock and key on an industrial estate in Dover at an unknown cost to the taxpayer.

That is despite minister Chris Philp claiming in September 2020 that some groups had already visited the site where dozens of boats were being held and, in some cases, had registered an interest in acquiring particular boats.

Some 18 months on, not a single boat has been handed over.

A Freedom of Information request by KentOnline, seeking details of the scheme, was partly refused by the Border Force on the grounds it was not in the public interest as “criminal gangs involved in migrant crossings would be able to build up a picture of our operational capabilities and plans in the English Channel and at Ports.”

It argued that details of dinghy confiscations, costs and dispersals would prove useful information to criminals and could thereby “encourage attempts to cross the channel illegally and circumvent UK immigration and customs controls.”

It accepted the release of information would help raise public awareness and aid the debate about the strategies in place to prevent dinghies crossing the English Channel into the UK.

It also acknowledged there was a public interest in ensuring confidence in the United Kingdom’s border control, stating: “This would help build greater public confidence in the operational procedures in place along the English coastline.”

But it said that the public interest in favour of releasing details of costs and storage was not strong enough to outweigh the case for withholding that information.

In September 2020, the Immigration Compliance Minister Chris Philp said the Home Office had “taken steps to implement a system which will allow for the Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats (RHIBS) to be donated to interested charity and voluntary sector groups, subject to completion of the necessary legal requirements.”

He added: “A number of charities have registered their interest in this scheme, and some representatives have already visited the site or are booked to visit.

"Upon visiting, they can view the potentially available boats and inform our Border Force teams which RHIBS they have an interest in obtaining.”

In a statement, the Home Office said the existing legislation did not allow items confiscated to be disposed of until they had been held in storage for a year.

“We want to see suitable sea worthy boats used in these dangerous crossings put to good use and new laws in the Nationality and Borders Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, will enable us to dispose of vessels much more quickly or donate them to worthy causes."

“Any boats that may be used as evidence to prosecute vile people smugglers are stored whilst investigations continue. Current legislation also obliges the Home Office to keep items for a short period in case an owner wishes to claim them."

“We want to see suitable sea worthy boats used in these dangerous crossings put to good use..."

“The New Plan for Immigration will fix the broken asylum system, making it fair to those who need our help and firm on those who seek to abuse our hospitality.”