On Saturday, just over 1,000 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats to Britain within 24 hours. As announced by the Ministry of Defense in London, these were discovered on 20 boats during the dangerous crossing. According to this data, the total number of migrants who have crossed the Channel since the beginning of the year has already risen to more than 26,000. The previous annual record from 2021 is 28,500.
By Friday, 221 people had reached Britain via the English Channel. The number of migrants crossing the strait towards Britain has increased significantly since 2018.
At that time, authorities began to enforce much stricter controls on the French port of Calais and the Channel Tunnel between France and Great Britain. Most recently, the number of migrants from Albania in particular had increased.
Government wants to reduce the number of crossings
A report from the British Parliament concludes that up to 60,000 people could cross the Channel by the end of the year. The Conservative British government has so far tried unsuccessfully to reduce the number of crossings. London pays the French government millions, among other things, to increase coastal surveillance.
London has also tightened its migration policy. Among other things, the government concluded an agreement with Rwanda that makes it possible for migrants who have arrived in Britain to be deported to the East African country after arrival.
However, so far not a single migrant has been sent to Rwanda: a flight scheduled for June was canceled at short notice following a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights. The candidates to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss have promised to stick to the plans anyway.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
