Record Number: Over 10,000 Individuals Attempt Channel Crossings This Year

According to the sourse, more than 10,000 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats so far this year. The numbers have spiked in recent days, with 486 people making the crossing on Friday and a further 374 on Saturday. The provisional total for 2023 now stands at 10,139, according to the latest data from the Home Office. This year’s total is more than double what it was during the same period last year, with about 8,400 migrants crossing in 2020 and more than 28,000 making the journey in 2021. The rise in dangerous Channel crossings is unacceptable, according to a government spokesman, who added that not only are they an overt abuse of immigration laws, but they also risk lives and hinder the ability to help refugees who come to the UK through safe and legal routes. The numbers making the crossing in recent years have increased, with 28,526 making the crossing in 2021, compared with 8,466 in 2020, 1,842 in 2019, and 299 in 2018.

The UK government has proposed several measures to address the increase in Channel crossings. These measures include new legislation to prevent people who enter the country through unofficial routes from claiming asylum, as well as the Illegal Migration Bill, which would give the home secretary the power to detain and remove those arriving in the UK illegally, either to Rwanda or another “safe” third country. The government hopes that these new measures will deter asylum seekers from making the dangerous journey across the Channel. However, these proposals have faced fierce scrutiny and criticism from the House of Lords, refugee groups, and analysts, who argue that they are morally unacceptable, risk damaging the UK’s international reputation, and will not stop new migrants from making the dangerous journeys across the Channel. Despite these challenges, the UK government remains committed to tackling illegal migration and stopping dangerous small boats crossings.