More than 10,000 migrants have already crossed the Channel this year despite the threat they could be deported to Rwanda
- Fears of record-breaking year for migrant crossings despite crackdown efforts
- By this time last year the figure for arrivals by small boat was just over 4,200
- But 10,057 migrants have been intercepted so far this year with 600 this week
- Another 139 migrants in six boats crossed the Dover Strait on Thursday alone
More than 10,000 migrants have crossed the Channel this year despite the threat of being deported to Rwanda.
The number of would-be refugees arriving by dinghy is more than double the figure for this time last year, official figures show.
And the record arrivals have continued this week even after the first rejected asylum seekers were told they will be put on a one-way flight to East Africa, sparking hunger strikes and suicide attempts in detention centres.
It has led to renewed concern that the Government’s flagship plan to end the people-smuggling route risks failure.
Dozens were brought ashore at Dover by Border Force officials, taking the total for the week to more than 600
Former Brexit Party MEP Ben Habib told Talk TV yesterday: ‘If the aim of the Rwanda plan was to deter people coming across the Channel, it’s not actually working.
‘Since they announced it we’ve had record numbers coming across. We’ve got to stop this movement of people illegally across the Channel.’
Figures from the Ministry of Defence showed 139 migrants in six boats crossed the Dover Strait – the narrowest part of the Channel – on Thursday.
Dozens were brought ashore at Dover by Border Force officials, taking the total for the week to more than 600.
It means 10,057 migrants have been intercepted so far this year. By this time last year the figure for arrivals by small boat was just over 4,200 and the 10,000 milestone was not reached until August.
The number of would-be refugees arriving by dinghy is more than double the figure for this time last year, official figures show
About 100 people deemed to have crossed the Channel illegally in dinghies have been sent ‘removal notices’ by the Home Office, telling them they will be deported to Rwanda.
The first flight is due to take off on June 14 but last-minute legal challenges are expected.
A group of 17 failed asylum seekers at Brook House detention centre near Gatwick airport staged a five-day hunger strike over the controversial policy, while others are said to have attempted suicide.
Home Office figures show how the number of migrants arriving by dinghy has soared.
Only 299 were detected crossing the Channel by small boat in 2018, rising to 1,843 in 2019. By 2020 it was 8,466 and then 28,526 last year.
With more than 10,000 so far in 2022, there are fears it will be another record-breaking year despite the Government’s efforts to crack down.
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