MORE than 4,000 small-boats migrants have crossed to the UK already this year — the fastest the milestone has been reached.
Yesterday even more landed here on the tenth straight day of arrivals.
PAMore than 4,000 small-boats migrants have crossed to the UK already this year — the fastest the milestone has been reached[/caption]
Home Office figures showed that, as of Sunday, 4,131 illegal migrants had made the perilous Channel crossing since the start of January.
The number is 23 per cent higher than at the same point last year, 33 per cent more than 2023 and 87 per cent higher than 2022.
This month alone more than 2,000 crossed in nine days.
The most arriving in one day this year was 592 people, in 11 boats, on March 2.
Yesterday Border Force scooped up more boatloads and took them to Dover, in the longest run of unbroken days for arrivals since last May.
It undermines the Government’s claim, made during a quiet spell last year, to have broken the link between “red days” with low winds and calm waters, and busy Channel activity.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has branded his counterpart Yvette Cooper and PM Sir Keir Starmer “weak”.
The Tories have demanded Labour reinstate the axed Rwanda plan as a deterrent.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We all want to end dangerous small-boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.
“We are delivering real change in our approach through legislation to create tools, powers, offences and enforcement action which will keep us a step ahead of gangs.”
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