The number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats has continued to rise, with more than 600 people making the journey on Friday alone, according to the Home Office. This brings the total number for 2024 up to 28,204, which is an increase of almost 8% compared to the same point last year. However, it’s still 25% less than the peak year of 2022. Despite this, the UK government maintains that it will “stop at nothing” to dismantle people smuggling gangs and prevent further cross-channel migration.
The issue has been in the headlines recently, particularly after a boat sank off the north French coast this week, killing one person and prompting rescue missions for dozens more. French coastguards say the death of the baby on board marks the 45th fatality they have reported so far in 2024, causing concern among refugee charities that Channel crossings are becoming more dangerous.
The chief executive of the Refugee Council, Enver Solomon, is among those calling for a change in approach, warning that more people have died this year than in the previous three years combined. Solomon says that this “procession of death and tragedy shows we need to rethink our approach,” a sentiment that has been echoed by other refugee and migrant rights campaigners.
The UK government, for its part, has pledge to crack down on smuggling gangs with the launch of a new Border Security Command, which will “strengthen our global partnerships and enhance our efforts to investigate, arrest, and prosecute these evil criminals.” Despite this, the continued increase in cross-channel migration will remain a significant challenge to UK border security in the coming weeks and months
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