Last night furious MPs demanded an immediate explanation, claiming the Home Office, National Crime Agency (NCA) and the French appeared to have “lost their grip” on the crisis.

"The British and French authorities must get a grip and find and stop the traffickers behind these crossings before there is a tragedy in the English Channel,” said Charlie Elphicke, the Tory MP for Dover.

He warned the French risked turning Calais back into a “migrant magnet.” “We cannot risk a return of the Calais Jungle. President Macron needs to stop dithering and get on top of this crisis - finding the traffickers and putting a stop to these crossings.”

Sir Christopher Chope, a member of the home affairs committee and MP for Christchurch, said home secretary Sajid Javid should reinforce naval defences by immediately calling back a Border Force cutter that has been deployed to the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean.

He also suggested the government could also charter the necessary fast boats: “If they haven’t got the fast boats themselves, then there’s any number in the area where I am sure they would be happy to have them chartered by the UK authorities.”

He said arriving migrants should also be sent straight back to France: “If people know they are certain to be detected and will be returned, then they won’t pay the vast amounts that they are doing to the people smugglers.”

The Home Office confirmed last night: “Early in the morning on 25 December, five adult males presented themselves as Iranian nationals at Dover Police Station. They are being processed in line with the Immigration Rules.