Number of asylum seekers crossing Channel since January tops 10,000, UK says | EUROtoday

Issued on: 25/05/2024 – 15:22

1 min

The variety of individuals touchdown on England’s southern seashores after making the damaging Channel crossing fell by a 3rd in 2023, however the newest numbers on a authorities web site confirmed 10,170 arrived between January and May 25, up from 7,395 over the identical interval final 12 months.

“We continue to work closely with our French partners to prevent crossings and save lives,” an inside ministry spokesperson stated in response to the surge in numbers.

Sunak, who introduced the election date on Wednesday, stated later this week that asylum seekers who come to Britain illegally wouldn’t be deported to Rwanda earlier than the vote – casting doubt on considered one of his Conservative Party’s flagship insurance policies.

The plan has been slowed down by authorized obstacles for greater than two years, and the opposition Labour Party, which is about 20 factors forward in opinion polls and seen on observe to finish 14 years of Conservative rule, has promised to scrap the coverage if it wins the election.

Labour’s shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock stated Sunak’s authorities had not achieved sufficient to sort out the difficulty.

“Because all the government’s efforts are now focused on getting a few hundred people flown to Rwanda, they have lost sight of the thousands more who are crossing the Channel every month,” Kinnock stated in an announcement.

Labour has stated if elected it could create a Border Security Command that may carry collectively employees from the police, the home intelligence company and prosecutors to work with worldwide companies to cease individuals smuggling.

(Reuters)