The number of migrants who crossed the Channel in small boats has decreased by 36% on the previous year, according to the latest UK government figures. A total of 29,437 people made the crossing in 2023, down from the record 45,774 in 2022. The last recorded crossing was on December 16, when 55 people made the journey from France in one boat. The figures for 2023 are, however, still higher than those for 2021, which saw 28,526 people make the crossing.
The Immigration Services Union (ISU) has said that the decrease in small boat arrivals in 2023 was likely a “glitch”, with “higher numbers” expected in 2024. Lucy Moreton from the ISU told BBC Radio 4 that “Border Force needs to continue to resource itself – and the country needs to continue to resource itself – to deal with higher numbers.” The English Channel remains one of the most dangerous and busiest shipping lanes in the world.
Previously, the Home Office had predicted up to 60,000 people could make the crossing last year, so there will be some relief among officials that the final figure turned out to be less than half that. The debate continues as to whether government policy has played a significant role in the drop in migration figures or whether it was largely due to weather conditions. Although on very calm days, the numbers of arrivals have been in the high hundreds, in previous years, more than 1,000 people could arrive in a single day.
Small-boat crossings are expected to remain a big political issue in the run-up to the general election. Refugee groups are calling on all politicians to uphold the right to asylum and expand safe routes for people fleeing oppression. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak previously pledged to “stop the boats” but last month said there was no “firm date” for meeting his pledge after facing questions from MPs. The promise was one of the five priorities Sunak set out at the start of 2023 when he said he would pass new laws to make sure people deemed to be arriving in the country illegally would be detained and swiftly removed
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