A communications expert is being offered up to £91,000 a year by the Home Office to help the department prove Labour is tackling the small boats crisis.

A job advertisement for the “deputy director migration communications” role says the applicant should have a “resilient” mindset and “personal authority”.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is attempting to show voters he has a plan to reduce the number of immigrants illegally crossing the Channel in small boats.

A failure to lower numbers could prove fatal for a Prime Minister who has repeatedly promised to do so.

More than 1,000 migrants arrived on 15 small boats in a 24-hour period on Wednesday.

It brought the total number of arrivals since the start of the year to 35,476.

That number is 33 per cent up from the same period last year and equal with the record year of 2022.

More than 100 migrants were gathered on Gravelines beach in northern France late on Thursday afternoon awaiting collection ahead of making the perilous journey.

More than 50 were pictured rushing to get on a black dinghy that came close to the shore at about 5.45pm.

The advert for the senior communications post suggests that whoever takes the job will play a significant role in shaping the Government’s messaging regarding legal and illegal migration.

Opinion polls have shown that it is the top issue for voters across the UK.

The successful candidate will also be tasked with messaging campaigns which are aimed at telling the electorate what measures are being taken behind the scenes to tackle the crisis.

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A Home Office source told The Telegraph that the position was not newly created.

It stressed that it was posted due to a staff change rather than a change in approach.

However, the Conservatives questioned whether the position would have any impact.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said it “says it all about the weak Labour Government”.

“They have thrown in the towel.

“Instead of stopping illegal immigration they are hiring people to try cover it up.”

Mr Philp added that “no amount of paid spinners” could disguise “this year so far has been the worst in history for small boats, thanks to this weak Labour Government”.

“The Conservatives have a plan – come out of the European Convention on Human Rights, which then enables us to remove all illegal immigrants within a week of arrival,” the Shadow Home Secretary said.

“They will pretty soon then stop trying to cross.”

Reform UK has topped opinion polls on which party is the most trusted to address the immigration situation.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has promised a tougher approach to the small boat crisis since she came into the position last month.

The Home Office announced last night that it had chartered special flights for the first time to deport almost 20 Channel migrants back to France.