Almost 700 migrants have crossed the English Channel in the past two days, as people-smugglers capitalised on the hot weather and favourable sea conditions. Official figures show 681 migrants made the crossing from France in 10 boats on Friday and Saturday, marking the first recorded dinghy arrivals in 13 days.
French Police Stand By
French police with riot shields reportedly watched as dozens of migrants, some carrying children wearing life vests on their shoulders, waded through the waves to board the vessels. Other images captured on Saturday showed older children struggling through the water after failing to board one of the inflatable boats. People in life jackets were seen being led from a Border Security Command vessel after arriving on the Kent coast.
Almost 400 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats on Friday, with 287 making the journey on Saturday.
Political Reactions
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch stated that a lot of those arriving by small boats should not be here. She told LBC that they are targeting Britain because they see the country as a soft touch. 'They are not refugees,' she said. 'They are people who see our country as a soft touch, and they exploit our kindness.'
Her comments come after it was revealed that UK net migration dropped to an estimated 171,000 last year, the lowest level since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The figures for the 12 months to December are down 48 per cent compared with the previous year, according to the Office for National Statistics. This is the first time the estimate has fallen below 200,000 since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Policy Implications
The figures could lead to renewed calls for Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's immigration policies to be watered down. Marley Morris, from the Institute for Public Policy Research, said the Government's progress should prompt a more measured debate.
In April, Shabana Mahmood signed a three-year agreement to pay France £662 million to support beach patrols in a bid to drive down the number of arrivals. The Home Office said the arrangement would see officers targeting and detaining migrants on the French coast, with the aim of removing hundreds from beaches every year. This means Labour will hand over £501 million to cover five police units and enforcement activity on French beaches, with an extra £160 million only paid if new tactics to curb Channel crossings succeed. If efforts fail, the additional funding will stop after a year, the Home Office said.
New French Initiatives
It was also confirmed for the first time that French authorities' new initiative to stop boats at sea will only apply to dinghies with fewer than 20 migrants aboard. Under Labour's new agreement, the £53 million-a-year extra payments will partly depend on how many boats are intercepted at sea. British cash will pay for a new specialist vessel for the French to use in interceptions, and 20 extra trained maritime officers to carry out the work. It will also be used to pay for two new helicopters for the French to use in surveillance operations along their coastline.
Further British funds will cover the cost of a new 50-strong police riot squad specially trained in dispersing large groups of people.
On April 27, more than 100 small-boat migrants were rescued by the French coastguard after their dinghy broke down in the Channel. Several people got into difficulty while trying to climb into the boat, including a woman who lost consciousness and had to be evacuated by helicopter, the maritime authority said.
A Home Office spokesperson said: 'This Government is bearing down on small boat crossings. The Home Secretary has signed a landmark new deal with France to boost enforcement action on beaches and put people smugglers behind bars. This builds on joint work that has stopped over 42,000 illegal migrants attempting to cross the channel since the election. We have removed or deported almost 60,000 people who were here illegally and are going further to remove the incentives that draw illegal migrants to this country.'
