Home Office spent £39,000 on Domino's pizzas for Channel migrants

Home Office spent £39,000 of taxpayers’ cash on Domino’s pizzas for hungry Channel migrants

• Officials spent over £38,000 in taxpayers’ cash at a Domino’s branch near Dover
• Staff at the now-closed Tug Haven holding centre used government credit cards
• The huge purchases of pizza with popular toppings were made over five months 

Officials spent more than £38,000 in taxpayers’ cash at a Domino’s branch buying pizza for migrants last year, according to new figures. 

Staff at the border at Dover’s now-closed Tug Haven holding centre used government credit cards to pay for the food over just five months last year. 

On one occasion last July, the Home Office’s Clandestine Operational Response Team bought 200 in one go  after stashing the pizza boxes into a van and taking them to migrants. 

Staff at the Domino’s branch have said they were ‘rushed off their feet’ each time migrants arrived, according to The Sun. 

On one occasion last July, the Home Office’s Clandestine Operational Response Team bought 200 in one go after stashing the pizza boxes into a van and taking them to migrants

According to reports, officials would buy 3,900 of the chain’s £9.99 medium pizzas with various toppings including popular choices such as Texas BBQ or the Veggie Supreme. 

Purchases ground to a halt in December last year when a catering firm took over. 

Last year, around 28,526 people crossed the Channel in small boats. This year alone, more than 14,000 have made the dangerous journey so far. 

Government figures have confirmed that 173 migrants arrived in four small boats on Thursday (July 14). It brings the total number of arrivals so far this year to 14,330.

On Wednesday, more than 100 migrants arrived, whilst 259 reached the UK in six boats on Tuesday.

Border Force officers also intercepted 442 migrants from 15 incidents on Monday – the highest number for nearly a month despite a Europe-wide crackdown on people smugglers and warnings migrants could be re-homed in Rwanda in central Africa.

The new crossings come after Irish premier Micheal Martin warned the UK Government’s plan to send migrants to Rwanda may have resulted in an increase in international protection applicants in the Republic.

Officials spent more than £38,000 in taxpayers’ cash at a Domino’s branch buying pizza for migrants

According to reports, officials would buy 3,900 of the chain’s £9.99 medium pizzas

The Government has reportedly put fresh attempts to get the first deportation flight to the East African nation off the ground on hold until after the Conservative Party has elected a new prime minister over fears it could generate too much controversy during the leadership contest. The plane was grounded in June amid legal challenges.

Alp Mehmet, Chairman of MigrationWatch UK, an organisation which represents the immigration concerns of British people, told The Sun: ‘The fact that the Border Force is having to resort to fast-food takeaways is symptomatic of the large numbers arriving.

‘What it points to is the need to stem the flow of dinghy-migrants.’

MailOnline has contacted the Home Office for comment.   

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