Phil Douglas, the Border Force director general, told The Telegraph: “Our work with operational counterparts in neighbouring countries is crucial to helping prevent Channel crossings and the organised criminality that comes with it.”

Referring to the £10 million for Belgium, he said: “This security funding will help colleagues prevent and deter people before they attempt to travel in a small boat, as well as quickly detect illegal activity at the Belgian border.”

Belgium has become not only a launching base for people-smugglers as they seek to evade security patrols on French beaches but also a transition route for migrants transported from safe houses in Germany on the night of their Channel crossing attempts.

The UK has so far spent £5 million installing security fences, CCTV, lighting and police equipment to secure the perimeter of Zeebrugge and counter migrants who have entered the port illegally.

It follows the deaths of 39 Vietnamese people after they were illegally brought into the UK in a lorry container from Zeebrugge in the early hours of October 23, 2019. Their bodies were discovered at an industrial estate in Grays, Essex, shortly after arrival.

The money will also help establish a command and operational response centre in Zeebrugge. It is due to be operational by summer, and Home Office officials said it would enable a faster response by security personnel to “emerging threats” on the fence-line or within the port itself.

A record 28,526 migrants reached the UK last year. This month alone has seen 2,603 arrive – triple the amount in the same month last year. Officials have privately estimated that numbers could reach 65,000 this year unless Border Force can stem the surge.