Man Dies Trying to Cross Channel as Crossings Reach 30,000
In October, there were 5,417 boat landings, making it the busiest month for boat arrivals so far this year.
Home Office data shows that more than 30,000 illegal immigrants have entered the UK by crossing the English Channel in small boats. As of Wednesday, the number of asylum seekers arriving through this route reached 30,431, with 564 arriving in 12 boats.
This milestone was reached on a day when a man died in French waters attempting the journey, with a further 230 arrivals on Thursday, bringing the total for the year to 30,661. This is 15% higher than the same time in 2023 but 23% lower than in 2022, a record year for such illegal entries.
Since 2018, a total of 144,983 illegal immigrants have arrived by crossing the English Channel in boats.
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Alongside its illegal immigration strategy, the new Labour government has ended the use of several sites to house asylum seekers to save money. The Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge off the coast of Dorset is one of the sites not being renewed, with asylum seekers being moved to hotels across the country instead.
The government expects to save £7.7 billion in asylum costs over the next decade, with over £20 million in savings expected from not renewing the use of the barge next year.
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The previous administration’s plan to send asylum seekers who arrived in the UK illegally to Rwanda has been scrapped. Instead, the government plans to restart asylum processing for those individuals. It also aims to increase removals of those with no right to be in the UK.
Last month, the Refugee Council estimated that approximately 62,801 individuals who would not have had their asylum claims processed under the previous government’s policy could now be recognized as refugees and granted leave to stay.
Seven in ten people who have crossed the Channel in the past year could be recognized as refugees if their asylum claims were processed, according to the Refugee Council.
PA Media contributed to this report.
