Record 700 Channel migrants reach UK in just one day
A NEW single-day high of nearly 700 Channel migrants reached the UK this week, despite the threat of being deported to Rwanda.
Border Force officials said they were yet to see the Rwanda policy deterring migrants as a total of 696 were intercepted on Monday attempting to cross the 21-mile Dover straits in 14 boats, the highest number so far this year.
People smugglers are also increasing the numbers per boat to around 50 as they seek to cash in before any change in policy starts to bite, according to Border Force sources.
Monday’s arrivals surpassed the previous high for the year of 651 in a day in April and brings the total for the year to 17,008, a figure which was not reached until September in 2021.
Lucy Moreton, professional officer of the ISU union representing Border Force officers, said there was some evidence people smugglers were using the Rwanda policy as a marketing tool to tell migrants to “get over now before it is introduced”.
The policy has been stalled until a high court hearing next month determines whether it is legal. Charities and the PCS union, which also represents Border Force staff, are bringing a challenge, claiming it is unlawful
“There’s no indication that the policy is acting as any form of deterrent at this point because we have not done it and there’s no significant expectation that we would do it,” said Ms Moreton.
About 10,000 migrants had crossed at this point last year, compared with the 17,000 so far this year. Internal Home Office modelling suggested it could double this year to 60,000, leading some to speculate the asylum crackdown may be having an impact.
National Crime Agency (NCA) chiefs said France had “stepped up” efforts to halt small boats, culminating in last month’s five-nation police raids that smashed a gang responsible for up to a quarter of the 40,000 migrants to have reached the UK since January last year.
The NCA said France was now stopping around 50 per cent of attempted crossings and believed that if the figure increased to 75 per cent they could “break the smugglers’ business model” by making it uneconomical. Tony Smith, the former director general of the Border Force, said: “We haven’t got a deterrent but the numbers have not mushroomed in the way I was really worried that they would.”
The record day for Channel migrants was on Nov 11 2021 when 1,185 arrived.
A Government spokesman said: “The rise in dangerous Channel crossings is unacceptable. Not only are they an overt abuse of our immigration laws, but they risk lives and hinder our ability to help refugees who come to the UK through safe and legal routes.”