More Than 2,000 Illegal Migrants Cross English Channel so Far This Year

A Border Force vessel brings in a group of illegal migrants following a small boat incident in the English Channel in Dover, Kent, on Feb. 25, 2024. (Gareth Fuller/PA Media)

More than 2,000 migrants have illegally crossed the English Channel in small boats so far in 2024, down by around one-third on this time last year.

Home Office figures show 290 migrants illegally crossed the Channel in five boats on Sunday, taking the provisional number of arrivals to 2,006 for this year.

This is 32 percent lower than the total recorded at this stage in 2023 (2,953) but 49 percent higher than the total for this time period in 2022, when 1,482 were recorded.

While the Home Office had detected zero illegal entrants in the six days prior, Sunday’s arrivals mark the highest number of migrants making the crossing in one day for more than a month, after 358 people arrived on Jan. 17.

Downing Street said that the government was taking “robust action” to prevent illegal crossings, with the prime minister’s official spokesman saying, “Obviously our priority is to stop the boats which is why we have taken robust action to crack down on people-smuggling gangs, deter migrants from making crossings, and intercept vessels, working with our French counterparts.”

2023 Migrant Arrivals Down on 2022

On Friday, Home Secretary James Cleverly and European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson signed an agreement that would see increased cooperation between the Border Force and the EU’s border agency Frontex to stop illegal migration, namely Channel boat crossings.

The deal follows one the UK made with France in November 2022. London increased annual payments to Paris from £55 million to £63 million, in exchange for France increasing beach patrols and deploying more officers, as well as investing in more surveillance tools and border enforcement equipment.

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Last year, 29,437 migrants illegally arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel, down 36 percent on a record 45,774 arrivals in 2022.

The government said in a statement last week that the “decrease in crossing numbers is testament to the tough measures we have introduced, the hard work of our dedicated Border Force officers and our work with French counterparts.”

“Illegal migration is an international challenge we are tackling on all fronts – including working upstream with international partners, clamping down on the criminal gangs with stepped-up enforcement, and working with the French to prevent more crossings,” the statement added.

Locals Fight to Stop Migrants Being Housed at RAF Scampton

The figures came as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak denied ignoring the concerns of locals living near the disused RAF Scampton in Lincoln, which is set to house 2,000 male illegal migrants. The site was once home of the famous 617 “Dambuster” Squadron and later the Red Arrows.

Mr. Sunak told BBC Radio Lincolnshire on Monday that he understands “people’s frustration,” continuing: “I wish we were not having to do any of this, whether it’s RAF Scampton or other sites across the country, or indeed in hotels and communities across our country that now are being used to house illegal migrants.

“I don’t think any of that is right and it costs a fortune.”

He said “the best way to resolve this issue long term is to stop people coming in the first place,” urging support for his Rwanda Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament.

“I’m confident that we really will be able to stop the boats and that will mean that we won’t have this pressure in all our local areas to find places to house illegal migrants,” Mr. Sunak said.

Cumulative arrivals of people crossing the English Channel in small boats. (PA)

The prime minister said the former airbase would be used on a “temporary basis,” although the government could extend its use as migrant housing for a further three years.

Locals have been fighting an ongoing battle to stop the plans since then-Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick confirmed the air base in Lincolnshire was earmarked for use in April 2023. So far, no migrants have been moved onto the premises.

On Feb. 2, West Lindsey District Council launched a fresh legal bid to block the government from getting planning permission to house migrants at the site until at least April 2027.

The council is concerned moving migrants into RAF Scampton will jeopardise a £300 million regeneration investment in the area. There are also concerns about preserving the site.

Councillor Trevor Young said this month, “It is important for us to preserve the historical and architectural integrity of the listed structures and the setting at RAF Scampton as they contribute significantly to the cultural heritage of the area.”

PA Media contributed to this report.