10,000 migrants cross Channel in 7 months
Record beats 8,500 arrivals in whole of last year
THE Channel migrant crisis reached new heights yesterday as the number reaching Britain this year topped 10,000.
More than 260 are thought to have arrived aboard a dozen boats yesterday. They were brought to Dover Marina in Kent for processing by immigration officers.
The milestone was reached while the Home Secretary was in Greece to visit an asylum reception centre.
Priti Patel sailed on the Aegean with the Hellenic coastguard, who have been accused of deploying hard-line tactics against migrants attempting to reach Europe. Her fact-finding mission to the Greek government’s recently-completed processing centre on the island of Samos is expected to feed into Home Office plans to build similar facilities here.
Miss Patel is also introducing powers to allow Border Force to turn migrant boats around in the Channel.
But France has so far refused to allow similar tactics, claiming it is in breach of international maritime law. Yesterday’s total of Channel migrants had not been
‘Inaction is not an option’
confirmed by the Home Office last night. But there had been 9,740 confirmed arrivals by the end of Tuesday, plus an estimated 269 yesterday. By comparison, there were 8,500 arrivals across the Channel in the whole of last year and 1,850 in 2019.
The Home Secretary’s official visit to Greece will allow officials to gather information on how ‘turnaround’ tactics are currently deployed at the EU’s external border, so similar methods could be used in the Channel.
Miss Patel said: ‘We have seen a surge in illegal migration across Europe, and we must continue to work closely with our Greek partners to tackle this challenge that both our countries face.
‘Only by working together can we break up these crime gangs that extend throughout Europe and beyond and stop the horrific trade in people across the Continent.
‘Inaction is not an option whilst people are dying across Europe making these dangerous and illegal journeys. The Government continues to take steps to tackle the unacceptable problem of illegal migration through the nationality and borders bill which will protect lives and break this cycle of illegal migration.’
Yesterday’s arrivals included a group of 55 aboard the RNLI lifeboat at Dungeness. Some flopped exhausted onto the shingle beach after disembarking the lifeboat down a ladder.
UK Border Force vessels brought in groups numbering 80, 40, 38 and 26 throughout the day, and the RNLI brought in a further 30. Last month Miss Patel announced she had agreed to give France an extra £54million in UK taxpayers’ money to increase security patrols on the other side of the Channel.
Dan O’Mahoney, the Home Office’s clandestine Channel threat commander, said: ‘There is an unacceptable rise in dangerous small boat crossings across the Channel because of a surge in illegal migration across Europe. We have signed a strengthened agreement with our French counterparts to increase police patrols on French beaches and enhance intelligence sharing.’
Greece is thought to have deployed several hundred ‘pushback’ operations since March last year to deter migrants attempting to reach their territory from Turkey. In some cases, the engines of migrant boats are alleged to have been disabled by Greek security patrols.
In April, a Greek NGO, Legal Centre Lesvos, lodged a claim at the European Court of Human Rights alleging tactics deployed against 200 migrants in one incident last October were illegal.
WITH no small fanfare, an inaugural pledge of this Government was to take back control of our borders. Two years on, that vow already looks lamentably hollow.
The shocking failure of the Government to get to grips with the Channel migrant crisis was laid bare yesterday as the number reaching Britain this year topped 10,000.
For home Secretary Priti Patel this represents an unwelcome landmark. She has thrown herself at the issue with great energy but sadly little efficacy. Millions have been spent, from costly drones to effectively bribing the French to help halt the flow of migrants – all to little avail.
Yes, this is a horrible problem. Those crossing do so in miserable conditions and at huge risk to their personal safety.
But Miss Patel and her team must redouble efforts if they are to remain true to their word.