Great Britain – Fewer refugees crossing the English Channel

Fewer refugees have crossed the English Channel to Great Britain this year than in 2022. The PA news agency reported on Wednesday, citing data from the British Home Office, that 20,100 people have reached the southern English coast so far. This is 20 percent less than the 25,000 in the same period last year. About 300 migrants arrived on Tuesday.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had announced that he would “stop the boats”. Falling entry numbers show his plan to deter people with tougher laws is working, the Conservative government leader said recently. Anyone who enters Great Britain “illegally”, regardless of the circumstances and without the prospect of asylum in Great Britain, must be detained and deported as soon as possible.

However, experts point out that the weather in the English Channel was worse this year, so fewer people risked the dangerous crossing from France.

Amnesty has criticized the “failed immigration policy”.

Sacha Deshmukh, head of Amnesty International’s UK division, said of the continued high numbers: “This is another reminder that the government’s failed immigration policy has not stopped people making the dangerous journeys to seek asylum to apply.”

A key Brexit promise is tighter control of immigration to the UK. Since then more and more refugees have come into the country. This is because there is no longer a withdrawal agreement with the EU country. The British government’s harsh refugee policy has drawn international criticism. Experts see this as undermining the right to asylum. (dpa/mig) Currently abroad