More than 1,200 immigrants crossed the English Channel in a single day, a record since 2018

First modification: 08/23/2022 – 17:39

The British Government describes the record of irregular migratory crossings into its country as “inadmissible”.

In the last 24 hours alone, 1,295 people from Africa crossed the English Channel in small boats from France to the United Kingdom, according to the Ministry of Defense.

It is a record not seen for four years, which raises alarms in London and strains relations with Paris, whose government it accuses of not doing enough to stop these displacements.

It is “unacceptable (…) Not only are they a manifest abuse of our immigration laws, but they also endanger the lives of vulnerable people who are being exploited by ruthless criminal gangs,” said a spokesman for the Outgoing Prime Minister’s Administration, Boris Johnson.

Usually the majority of unauthorized sea crossings occur during the summer months, but now it is higher than usual amid the closure of alternate routes.

The rate of arrivals in the eight consecutive months of this year stands at 22,670almost double compared to the 12,500 people who were intercepted last year while making the journey, the Defense Ministry said.

The figure could increase to 60,000 people by the end of 2022warn the same sources.

A crossroads with life-threatening consequences

A report by the British Parliament’s Home Affairs Committee said last July that the increase in crossings may be due to people smugglers “alarming” about new rules coming into force and being pressured to travel as soon as possible.

The English Channel is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, but it carries potentially deadly consequences. The currents in the water are strong, making the seemingly short trip very dangerous.

In November 2021, 27 migrants were found dead in the dangerous body of water in what is considered the worst disaster ever to occur there.

Most of the people undergoing the difficult journey come from Iran, Iraq, Eritrea and Syria, according to government records. These are countries hard hit by armed conflicts, human rights violations and extreme hunger.

The response of the British authorities to forced migrations is subject to strong criticism from the political opposition and civil organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Challenge to Britain’s controversial deportation program to Rwanda

Under an agreement reached last April, the United Kingdom announced the sending of thousands of immigrants who arrive clandestinely on its shores more than 6,000 kilometers from its territory: Rwanda. The program provides for their asylum applications to be processed there and, if successful, they would be allowed to remain in the African country.

The Johnson administration hoped the threat of deportation to the East African nation, coupled with other efforts such as giving the Navy the responsibility of intercepting migrants, would act as a deterrent to curb migration crossings.

But this plan has been plagued by controversy and court challenges. The first deportation flight scheduled for June was prohibited at the last minute by a court order from the European Court of Human Rights, which reversed the decision of a local court and meant a severe setback for the controversial immigration policy.

That guideline will be the subject of a legal challenge in London’s High Court in early September, after a coalition of human rights groups and a trade union filed a lawsuit arguing that the program is “unworkable” and “unethical.” ”.

In fact, the UK Refugee Council stressed that the increase in the numbers of irregular crossings are “further evidence that the Government’s cruel deportation plan to Rwanda, supposedly a deterrent to dangerous Channel crossings, simply does not is working”.

Despite the blockades, the country’s controversial immigration policy is far from being ruled out. The two candidates vying to replace Johnson as prime minister, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, have vowed to go ahead with the deportations to Rwanda.

With Reuters, EFE and local media