PA
Rishi Sunak said he wants people to “have confidence” in his plan to curb Channel crossings, as the total so far this year approaches 20,000.
The prime minister said the number of migrant arrivals was lower than last year and this showed his plan to “stop the boats” was “working”.
Crossings resumed on Tuesday, with pictures showing a dinghy packed with men and boys, some without lifejackets, perched on the sides while their legs dangled in the water.
According to witnesses, a nearby French patrol vessel appeared to be escorting and monitoring the boat as it floated into UK waters towards Dover before it was met by Border Force and later taken ashore at the Kent port.
Provisional Home Office data shows that in 2023 so far 19,801 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel.
This is 21 per cent down on this time last year when more than 25,000 people had already made the journey, PA news agency analysis of Government figures shows.
The pace and volume of crossings slowed over the bank holiday weekend, with just 60 people detected making the journey in one boat on Sunday and no crossings recorded on Saturday or Monday, according to revised Home Office figures.
Speaking to broadcasters on Tuesday during a visit to Norfolk, Mr Sunak said: “This year, for the first time since the small boats crisis emerged, the numbers crossing are down. It’s important for people to understand that.
“This year for the first time the numbers of people crossing are lower than the year before. That hasn’t happened before. That shows that the plan is working.
“Of course, there’s more to do, but I want people to have confidence that we are on it, and we’ll keep going.”
The government has announced a number of schemes designed to deter asylum seekers from making the perilous trip across the Channel in the first place, including sending them to East Africa and housing them on barges.
However, both have been derailed after the Court of Appeal ruled that sending people fleeing war and persecution to “safe” third countries was immoral and Legionella was found on the Bibby Stockholm, making it unlivable in.
Speaking to The London Economic, migration expert Zoe Gardener has outlined a strategy that would help Britain get to grips with the crisis if the next government chooses to deal in workable solutions.
Here’s how it’s done:
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