A Royal Navy vessel will be deployed to patrol the English Channel to deter migrant crossings after a surge in recent weeks.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid asked the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for a vessel after a boat with a small number of migrants made its way into Dover earlier this week.
The Royal Navy said HMS Mersey was on standby and it has now been confirmed it will be deployed to assist the response to attempted crossings.
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: "I can confirm that HMS Mersey will deploy to the Dover Straits to assist the UK Border Force and French authorities with their response to migrant crossings.
"The professionalism of the Royal Navy means the crew have been able to immediately divert from routine operations to help prevent migrants from making the dangerous journey across the Channel."
Home Secretary Sajid Javid said: "My focus continues to be on protecting the UK border and preventing loss of life in the Channel. For these reasons, the government has decided to deploy a navy vessel, HMS Mersey, to support our existing efforts.
"This will be an interim measure while the two Border Force cutters I have redeployed from abroad make their way back to UK waters.
"It is vital that we are working on all fronts to tackle this ongoing situation and I am grateful to Border Force and other agencies for the tireless work they have done in response to this activity."
Sending the vessel represents an escalation of Britain's response to the migration issue.
Mr Javid was criticised for referring to the crossings as a "major incident" and for questioning whether those trying to get over were genuine asylum seekers.
He said 539 people had attempted to cross the strait in 2018, with 80% of those making the journey in the last three months.
The Daily Telegraph reported that there was an ongoing dispute about who should foot the £20,000-a-day bill for the cost of the Royal Navy vessel – the MOD or the Home Office.
The home secretary has also reportedly requested dozens of sailors and aerial surveillance to put a stop to the crossings.
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Mr Javid was right to say the UK's "proud tradition" of offering asylum should not be abused.
He said: "I think the Home Secretary is right to say that, as a country that is very proud of our tradition of granting asylum to people who need it, we also want to make sure that isn't abused.
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"But our priority right now is the safety of people in the Channel; to discourage people from making this very dangerous crossing, but to make sure that everyone that does is kept safe."
Two people, a 33-year-old Iranian national, and a 24-year-old British man, are still being questioned after their arrest on suspicion of arranging the illegal movement of migrants to the UK.
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