It is a dangerous crossing of the English Channel to Great Britain. But the number of crossings is increasing. The year 2024 is on track to be a record year.
More than 10,000 people have already crossed the English Channel in small boats towards Great Britain this year. This was reported by the British news agency PA, citing figures from the Home Office in London.
The year 2024 is therefore on track to be a record year in terms of dangerous crossings. In the same period last year, there were just under 7,300. In the previous record year of 2022, more than 9,300 people crossed the strait between France and England in the first five months.
For Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government, the rising numbers come at an inopportune time. He made the issue of irregular migration across the English Channel a campaign issue for the general election scheduled for July 4th and promised to “stop the boats”. In order to deter people from making the crossing, the conservative government majority recently passed a law in parliament that would allow irregular immigrants to be deported to Rwanda, regardless of their origin.
The human rights organization Amnesty International criticized the asylum pact with Rwanda, saying it was not only illegal and immoral, but also ineffective in view of the latest migration figures. Instead, it is calling for legal entry into the UK for asylum seekers, PA reported.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
