Escape through the English Channel: 430 migrants in one day

In a rubber dinghy across the English Channel: hundreds of migrants pay smugglers to bring them to the British coast. 430 people managed to make the dangerous crossing in just one day – a new record.

According to official figures, at least 430 immigrants crossed the English Channel from France to Great Britain yesterday. The BBC reported that around 50 people had arrived in the Kent border area on a single rubber boat.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, this is a new high. Previously, the record was 416 arrivals who crossed the canal in one day in early September 2020.

in distress

When the weather is good, migrants from France, where they often come from refugee camps, often make the dangerous crossing. Many use the services of smugglers. According to official information, about 8,000 people will have arrived in the UK via the canal this year.

A week ago, more than 100 migrants were rescued from distress on the English Channel within a day, including at least 11 women and two children. The responsible French authority announced that they were in several boats from France to Great Britain. The immigrants were returned to France.

The government in London wants to prevent transit

The British government wants to act with all its might against the crossings and repeatedly demands that France take stronger action against them. According to the BBC, the Home Office said again that “decisive steps will be taken to tackle the problem of illegal immigration”.

Home Secretary Priti Patel had previously announced that in the long run, asylum seekers who entered the country via illegal routes would be given fewer rights than others. Regaining control of one’s own borders is a key promise of Brexit.