Over 1,000 boat migrants last week, busiest July for crossings

July has been the busiest month for illegal migrants this year so far, with more than 1,000 landings on Britain’s southern coasts in the past week: these are just the latest arrivals in a migrant crisis which has been going on for years, the government has so far proven to be totally unequal.

Some 16,400 illegal migrants have arrived in Britain via the Channel route this year so far, including 1,000 in the past week alone.

The influx of arrivals makes July, with 3,683 migrants by boat, the busiest month for illegal arrivals this year so far. Crossings have accelerated in frequency, according to statistics published by The Independent.

July arrivals overtook June as the record for the year so far, which had seen 3,136 illegal immigrants arrive. Previous experience suggests numbers could continue to rise as the year approaches autumn: the all-time record for migrant arrivals by boat to the UK stands at 6,971 in November 2021.

Despite the remarkable surge in autumn 2021, the pace of migrant arrivals by boat to Britain so far is twice as fast as last year and there is every indication that 2022 will be another record year for illegal migration by boat.

Exclusive: Farage’s French migrant escort vessel also ‘handed over’ Pett level migrants last week https://t.co/SdRATjMHQ1

— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondres) May 21, 2020

While boat migration was declared a “major incident” by the nominally conservative UK government in 2018, the trade of smugglers sending migrants across the Channel in small boats really took off in the age of coronavirus, when routes more normal ones like visa overstay and smuggling in ports has become a bit more difficult due to closures.

While migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats do so illegally, it would be a misreading of the situation to say they have “sneaked” into Britain. Normally the crossings are made in broad daylight and are monitored by the French coast guard who inform their British counterparts – but do not try to prevent dangerous journeys.

Once the boats are in British waters, the migrants are usually picked up by the Border Force, who transport them ashore in England.

In some cases, the French have been observed handing over migrant boats directly to British authorities, highlighting how these weapons from the respective states have become an informal part of the human smuggling process.

Britain’s ‘ineffective’ border force may have worsened Channel crisis: official reporthttps://t.co/kjttPn7tPk

— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondres) July 22, 2022

These migrants are, for all intents and purposes, never deported. The huge sums of money spent by the British government to house and feed these illegal immigrants while making absolutely no real attempt to deflect or even deter migrants has been in the headlines for many years, but the government has shown no no real interest in rectifying the situation.

That’s not to say the public doesn’t want it, of course. Indeed, 60% of Britons want to see less immigration in general, according to a recent poll. In a country where there is little agreement on anything, 60% saying to reduce immigration is a solid majority: considerably more than the 52% who voted to leave the European Union, for example.

Although there have been a number of high-profile and eye-catching government initiatives to tackle Channel boat crossings, they have had no real impact on the situation and the number of migrants has increased year on year. in year.

Cynics may ponder the likelihood that doomed plans like the Rwanda migrant transfer deal may simply reflect an admission by former high-profile politician George Osborne, who said of campaign promises by conservatives to control migration that no one in the party leadership actually supported cutting immigration and would be happy to see those promises dropped.

MP James Heappey said the Channel operations have been successful in that “97% of dinghies going into the water are identified, observed and tracked as they make their way to the UK”.

“So the measure of ‘pretty successful’ is ‘we can see them’?” asked his interlocutor. https://t.co/0LtVpftVHO

— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondres) February 19, 2022

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