THE Ministry of Defence has said it will not carry out migrant pushbacks in the Channel, sparking a public row with Priti Patel. 

The Home Office and MoD were at loggerheads this week after the Home Secretary said it was wrong of one of its defence ministers to rule out the navy’s role in turning around refugee boats in the Channel. 

Ms Patel told MPs on the home affairs select committee on Wednesday that armed forces minister James Heappey was giving his opinion when he told the Commons that the Royal Navy and Royal Marines would not intercept refugee vessels, and this was not fact. 

Responding to Ms Patel’s comments, the Ministry of Defence said on its press Twitter account: “The [Royal Navy] and the [Royal Marines] will not be using pushback tactics in the English Channel, although a military commander will retain the existing ability to instruct Border Force to use them when appropriate.”

The department’s clarification on the issue was welcomed by campaigners today. 

Freedom from Torture chief executive Sonya Sceats said: “We welcome the news that the Ministry of Defence will not be using pushback tactics against flimsy boats full of torture survivors and other refugees in the Channel.

“With the military refusing to implement it and the union representing border force staff now threatening industrial action, the time has come for this government to bin this morally abhorrent policy, which risks killing people seeking safety on our shores.”

Freedom from Torture is one of several groups to have launched legal challenges to stop the tactic being deployed, claiming it will put lives at risk.