According to data released by the Home Ministry, the number of migrants crossing the English Channel to the United Kingdom increased by 25% in 2024.
The number is expected to rise from 29,437 in 2023 to 36,816 in 2024, though still below 2022’s record of 45,774.
The year 2024 was also the deadliest year for Channel crossings, with at least 76 deaths recorded. According to French authorities, more than 5,800 sea rescues also took place and 870 attempts at crossings were foiled.
The increase in migrant crossings comes as political pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labor government to address the issue increases.
Legal immigration is also at a historic high
According to the Interior Ministry report, the number of people coming from Vietnam, Iran and Syria has increased, this group of people coming from Afghanistan was the largest in the first nine months of last year.
Meanwhile, projected net legal migration by June 2024 was 728,000, a historically high level.
The Migration Observatory at Oxford University reported that about 29,000 people returned between January and early December, an increase of 25% from 2023 and the highest level since 2017.
Labor government under pressure
After coming to power in July, Starmer canceled the previous Conservative government’s controversial plan to send irregular migrants to Rwanda and has since targeted people smugglers running the crossing.
Last month, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the government had a moral responsibility to deal with Channel crossings.
The government pledged to dismantle smuggling networks, increase international cooperation, and recognize smugglers as a global security threat.
Labour’s new border strategies include a border protection command and treaties with European partners, including Europol. However, experts say it is too early to assess their impact.
While Starmer’s government highlights its successes in increasing the return of irregular migrants to their countries of origin, the issue of immigration comes at a time when support is growing for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party.
ss/jsi (AFP, dpa)
