More than 10,000 migrants have arrived in the UK this year after crossing the Channel, according to Home Office figures. On Friday alone, 288 people made the journey in five boats, bringing the total for 2024 to date to 10,170. This surpasses the number of migrants who made the perilous crossing by this point in 2022, which was 9,326. Last year, it took until June 17 to reach the 10,000 mark. The Home Office has stated that these figures highlight the need to get flights to Rwanda operational as soon as possible. The government’s plan involves sending some asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing. Immigration has become a significant issue in the upcoming election and could present a challenge for Rishi Sunak.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson previously promised to “stop the boats” altogether and referred to the Rwanda plan as an “indispensable deterrent.” However, he recently announced that no flights will take off before the General Election on July 4. The Labour party, on the other hand, has committed to scrapping the program entirely.
A spokesperson from the Home Office expressed concern over the high number of people crossing the Channel and emphasized the urgency of getting flights to Rwanda operational. They also highlighted the collaboration with French police, who are facing increasing violence and disruption on their beaches as they work to prevent these dangerous and illegal journeys. The spokesperson mentioned that last year, the French police prevented 26,000 people from reaching the UK. The Home Office remains committed to building on the successes of last year, including implementing tougher legislation and agreements with international partners, in order to save lives and stop the boats.
