The Home Secretary Sajid Javid is under fire after appearing to suggest many of those seeking to get to the UK from France were not genuine asylum seekers.

During an unannounced visit to the Port of Dover the minister said that while the UK would process asylum applications in the normal way, he wanted to send a "strong message" that economic migrants would not be allowed to illegally settle in the UK.

Some 200 mainly Iranian people have been picked up from boats in the Straits of Dover in recent weeks.

Mr Javid said: "People shouldn't be taking this very dangerous journey and if they do, we need to send a message that they won't succeed.

"You're coming from France, which is a safe country, and in almost every case you are claiming asylum and if you are a real genuine asylum seeker you could have done that in a safe country.”

Lisa Doyle, director of advocacy at the Refugee Council, said: "The comments made by the Home Secretary are deeply concerning.

"The outcome of an asylum application cannot be pre-judged before it has been made and must be processed on its individual merit, irrespective of how that person reached the country.

"Let us not forget that we are talking about people who are in desperate need of protection, having fled countries with prolific human rights abuses.

"What is more, we are hearing time and again that the conditions in France do not make people feel safe, with migrant camps being razed from the ground and people experiencing violence from the authorities.

"It’s a shame that the Home Secretary seems to need reminding that seeking asylum is a right and the UK has an obligation to assess claims fairly and grant protection to those who need it."

Mr Javid was forced to interrupt his family holiday to return to the UK after growing concern about the numbers crossing the channel.

He declared the events a major incident and announced that two further cutter vessels would be deployed to the Channel to boost border controls.

Mr Javid said: "The numbers in Dover has been significant, as far as we know 539 migrants attempted to cross the channel last year, 80% of those were in the last three months."