Tim Loughton, a former minister and member of the home affairs committee, said it would hinge on the French changing their tactics from releasing migrants intercepted on the beaches unless they caught smugglers.

He urged the Government to tear up the deal unless the French improved their stop rate. 

“The more money we put their way, the worse job they do and more problems come up. We should not pay the £54 million until we see some results otherwise we are throwing good money after bad,” he said.

Tony Smith, the former director general of Border Force, said it was hypocritical of the EU and French to agree a multi-billion Euro deal with Turkey to accept migrants “pushed back” or returned on its eastern border but then not agree a similar arrangement in the north with the UK.

He said the French also needed to deport failed asylum seekers. “All they do in the EU is give them a notice to quit the Shengen area but they don’t. They move from one Shengen country to another and hang around. They are not very good at enforcing removals,” he added.