More than 19,000 migrants have entered the UK by small boat so far in 2024 – The Irish News

More than 19,000 migrants have entered the UK by small boat so far in 2024, according to Home Office figures, after almost 500 people crossed the Channel on Saturday.

On August 17, 492 migrants crossed in nine boats, bringing the preliminary total for the year so far to 19,066.

This is a 10% increase from last year’s figure of 17,346.

But the latest figure is 10% lower than in 2022, when 21,130 border crossings were recorded in the same period.

Earlier this week, the highest number of crossings took place in a single day since the Labour government came to power. Last Sunday, 703 people arrived in the UK in 11 boats. That is an average of 64 people per boat.

A Home Office spokesman said: “We all want to see an end to dangerous small boat crossings, which undermine border security and endanger lives.

“The new Government is taking steps to improve our border security by establishing a new Border Security Command that will bring together our intelligence and law enforcement agencies, equipped with new counter-terrorism powers and hundreds of staff based in the UK and abroad to help defeat criminal smuggling gangs that are making millions in profits.”

One of the first steps of the new government was to abolish the deportation program for Rwanda. According to James Cleverly, shadow minister for the interior, this program mainly benefits people who profit from unsafe border crossings.

He said: “When Labour abandoned our deterrent they sent a dangerous message to people smugglers, because they were unwilling to take the tough measures needed to control our borders, and now the smugglers are reaping the rewards.

“And more than a month later, they still haven’t appointed anyone to lead their phantom border command.

“This new government must take urgent action to control the ever-increasing numbers of crossings.”