Over 1,100 migrants crossed Channel: UK govt data
Published: 04:06 PM,Jun 01,2025 | EDITED : 08:06 PM,Jun 01,2025
Migrants arrive at Dover harbour after being rescued while attempting to cross the English Channel, in Dover. — Reuters
LONDON: Some 1,194 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in small boats on Saturday, a record for this year according to government data. It brings the overall number of migrant crossings this year to 14,808, an unprecedented figure despite several measures in place by the French and UK governments to curb the crossings.
The latest crossings, which UK Defence Secretary John Healey described as 'shocking', fall short of the all-time record of 1,300 migrants arriving on small boats in a day in September 2022. But they will still prove a headache for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has been at pains to toughen his rhetoric on irregular immigration amid pressure from the far right to slash migrant numbers.
Starmer unveiled tough new immigration policies this month that include doubling the length of time before migrants can qualify for settlement in the country and new powers to deport foreign criminals. Separate legislation to tackle irregular immigration, called the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, is currently going through parliament. — AFP
The latest crossings, which UK Defence Secretary John Healey described as 'shocking', fall short of the all-time record of 1,300 migrants arriving on small boats in a day in September 2022. But they will still prove a headache for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has been at pains to toughen his rhetoric on irregular immigration amid pressure from the far right to slash migrant numbers.
Starmer unveiled tough new immigration policies this month that include doubling the length of time before migrants can qualify for settlement in the country and new powers to deport foreign criminals. Separate legislation to tackle irregular immigration, called the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, is currently going through parliament. — AFP