Nearly 700 refugees made the dangerous journey across the Channel on Monday. They traveled to Britain in small boats, the Ministry of Defense said.
700 migrants are the daily record so far this year. In total, nearly 17,100 people have crossed the strait since the beginning of the year. Last year, at a similar time, there were just under 9,500 people. 27 of them died in November 2021 after their dinghy capsized in the English Channel.
Stricter land control
The increase in the number of crossings from France to Great Britain may be related to stricter controls on land routes. These have been reinforced since the UK left the EU and the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Gaining control of one’s borders was one of the central promises of the Brexit campaign. The increase in boat people is now a thorn in the side of the Conservative government.
Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, who are running to replace outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson, are holding on to the plan to fly asylum seekers of different nationalities to Rwanda. A first flight was already planned, but was stopped in mid-June by the European Court of Human Rights with a ban. The United Nations considers this a violation of international law.
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.
