Number Of Migrants Crossing English Channel Hits Single-Day Record

The number of illegal migrants crossing the English Channel to England from northern France in small, sometimes makeshift boats, has hit a record high according to the UK government.

Approximately 1,295 people reportedly crossed on Monday – beating the previous single-day record from November 11, 2021 of 1,185 migrants according to AFP, citing the Ministry of Defense.

Last year, the UK authorities brought ashore a total of 28,526 people as they tried to cross the busy shipping lane.

The issue has caused a major political headache for the UK government, which promised tighter border controls after leaving the European Union.

Tensions have risen between London and Paris, with the UK government accusing France of not doing enough to stop the crossings. -AFP

In an effort to combat the problem, immigration laws have been strengthened to target the human traffickers behind the crossings – with rights groups arguing that the legislation could have the effect of criminalizing migrants who are illegally entering the country by not going through proper channels to flee their homeland.

Earlier this year, the UK signed a deal with Rwanda to send migrants to the African country for resettlement – a plan backed by both Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, who are competing to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister following his resignation, however a series of legal challenges in UK courts and the European Court of Human Rights have put the brakes on the plan.

The first flight in June was due to see some 130 asylum seekers sent to the Rwandan capital Kigali, but the numbers were whittled down to zero because of court action.

Groups representing asylum seekers are due to challenge the legality of the policy in court from next month.

The UK government has defended the policy as necessary because the costs involved in processing asylum claims and housing migrants are too high. -AFP

With some 60,000 migrants predicted to cross this year, Truss says she would extend the plan, while Sunak said he would do “whatever it takes” to ensure its success.

The UK government is also looking to challenge human rights legislation in order to expedite the deportation of asylum seekers who were determined to have entered the country illegally.

That said, some MPs have questioned whether the Rwanda plan would actually have a deterrent effect, suggesting there’s “no clear evidence” it would lead to a reduction in crossings. Since the deal was signed between Home Secretary Priti Patel and Rwanda four months ago, some 17,400 people have crossed the Channel using small craft.