The number of illegal immigrants coming to Britain from Turkey, crossing in small boats across the English Channel, has risen almost threefold in the last year.
Last month 166 people from Turkey crossed by small boat, second only to the 338 from Iran, and more than the 134 coming from Afghanistan, which has been the most common source since the Taliban took Kabul in Aug. 2021.
Considering the low rate of approval for asylum applications from Turkey, the majority are believed to be economic migrants.
Some may have been misled by people traffickers while others might be aware that they will eventually be deported back to Turkey but be planning to work in the black economy, to earn money, before they are inevitably sent home.
The Woody Grill Group’s group operations manager said, in a statement to Hammersmith and Fulham Council, he was “both embarrassed and disappointed” about the presence of illegal workers at the branch, which he said was “unacceptable” and was blamed on the branch’s general manager, who has since been replaced.
Last year, the Home Office announced plans to increase the fines for employers from £15,000 per illegal worker up to £45,000, and up from £20,000 to £60,000 for a repeated breach.
‘Legitimate Routes’ for Turkish Migration Ended by Brexit
But when Britain left the European Union in Dec. 2020, it also left the Ankara Agreement, which had allowed Turkish nationals to come and work in Britain legally. The Turkish business person’s visa, another route of entry, has also been terminated.Ipek Ozerim, editor of T-Vine, a magazine for the UK Turkish community, said, “It’s no surprise there is a large influx of illegal migrants from Turkey.”
“The end of the Ankara Agreement has cut off a legitimate route into the UK. This coupled with the severe cost of living crisis in Turkey and massive disillusionment with life for young people and those who are opposed to the conservative, religious rule of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan means many are desperate to get out,” she added.
Ms. Ozerim told The Epoch Times: “Turkish and Kurdish gangs are heavily involved in people smuggling across Europe. Their networks extend into the irregular cash economy, from restaurants to building sites and car washes, allowing illegal migrants to quickly find work. That encourages even more people to try their luck entering the UK illegally.”
It is the first fall since the Home Office began keeping record and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Home Secretary James Cleverly, have claimed it showed the government was getting to grip with the issue.
Big Fall in Albanian Migrants
Tellingly, the number of Albanian nationals making the crossing by small boat, has fallen steeply.In 2022 they made up 28 percent of the total but that has fallen to just 3 percent in 2023.
The British government also struck a deal with Tirana in which both agreed to work together to stem the flow of illegal immigrants, who were almost entirely economic migrants.
The UK Border Force staff set up a joint migration task force with the Albanian police and several NCA operations were launched against Albanian gangs.
Consequently, the number of Albanians crossing the channel dropped from 12,658 in 2022, to 927 in 2023.
