Over 120,000 Refugees Have Crossed the English Channel Since 2018
Official figures indicate that approximately 5 out of every 300 individuals in the UK entered on small boats, with 5 out of 200 being illegal immigrants detected in the past 6 years.
An analysis by The Epoch Times of official figures suggests that people smuggling across the English Channel has contributed nearly 120,000 individuals to the UK’s population.
This equates to roughly 1.7 percent, or about five out of every 300 people, being small boat arrivals.
According to recent provisional data from the Home Office, 349 illegal immigrants successfully crossed the channel on Saturday via seven boats, bringing this year’s total to nearly 5,000.
So far in 2023, a total of 4,993 individuals have been smuggled into the UK on 105 boats over 25 days. Note that these figures are provisional and subject to change.
As of March 26, the number of individuals making this journey in the first three months of the year had already reached a new high of 4,644.
The previous record was set in 2022, with 4,548 individuals on 147 boats completing the journey by March 31 over 28 days.
In the initial three months of 2023, a total of 3,793 Channel-crossing illegal immigrants arrived on 91 boats in 29 days.
The unauthorized crossing of the English Channel began to rise in 2018 and has become the primary route for illegal immigration in recent years.
In 2022, nearly 84 percent of detected illegal immigrants arrived via small boats, which dropped to 80.2 percent in 2023.
Since 2018, about 119,315 people have been smuggled into the UK on small boats.
According to The Epoch Times analysis of Home Office figures, between 2018 and 2023, the total number of known irregular migrants in the UK was 174,977, which is 2.54 percent of the projected population, or five out of 200 people.
Efforts by the government to deter crossings by sending illegal arrivals directly to Rwanda are facing obstacles after the House of Lords made changes to the Rwanda bill.
Peers amended the bill with 10 changes in March, which were later removed by MPs but then reinserted by peers, prolonging the legislative process.
MPs will revisit the bill after the Easter recess, and discussions will continue until both houses of Parliament agree on a final version of the bill.
Director of PeoplePolling Matt Goodwin has expressed that the policy is crucial for Rishi Sunak’s electoral prospects.
Mr. Sunak has emphasized the importance of the Rwanda policy as the solution to the issue of illegal migration.
Some Conservative MPs supporting the policy have raised concerns about potential loopholes that could impede deportations.
The Home Office has not responded to requests for comment.
