Nine small boats carrying 572 people attempting to cross the Channel were intercepted, bringing this year’s total arrivals via small boats to 32,691, according to the Home Office as reported by The Guardian. This figure represents a 22% increase from last year’s numbers but remains 18% lower than the total at this point in 2022.
The recent uptick in crossings comes after Labour leader and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged an additional £75 million to combat people smuggling, labeling it a “national security threat”. Starmer also announced the creation of a new team of detectives to address the issue.
Despite increased efforts, the dangers associated with Channel crossings have grown. The French coastguard reported four bodies found near Calais earlier this week, bringing the suspected number of fatalities this year to 60—five times the figure recorded in 2022. This includes a man’s body recovered by Kent Police on Tuesday near Dover.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking at the Interpol assembly in Glasgow, said the government would double its funding for the border security command to £150 million. Starmer, meanwhile, recently unveiled agreements with Serbia, North Macedonia, and Kosovo to enhance cooperation on intelligence and border security.
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, criticised the government’s “smash the gangs” approach, urging instead for a “fair asylum system” that supports refugee integration.
Writing in The Guardian, Solomon noted that as enforcement measures tighten, smugglers are increasingly endangering lives by “cramming more people into boats and launching from more hazardous locations”.
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