The number rises to at least 6,693 this year for small boat crossings, according to the PA news agency – three times the number of 2,004 at the time last year and more than six times the number 1,006 for the same period in 2020. More than 28,000 migrants were spotted making the perilous journey from France to the UK last year – 37 of whom drowned, according to the International Organization for Migration – and a forecast shows that number will nearly double to almost 60,000 by the end of 2022. The defense ministry took control of the migrant operations in April, but did not comment on the number of arrivals on Sunday. The official figures will be confirmed on Monday. He took responsibility when the government announced controversial plans to send some of the people making the trip to Rwanda. Earlier this year, Sky News revealed that the Home Office was investigating the cases of some 850 people to determine if the department violated privacy laws by illegally seizing their phones and extracting data from them. Sunday’s arrivals in Dover followed what appears to be an 11-day break in crossings amid reports of strong winds and rough seas.
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Read more: Why are migrants being sent to Rwanda and how will it work? Such breaks are not uncommon and usually coincide with bad weather, making intersections more and more dangerous than usual. Two major cross-border gaps were recorded earlier this year before the Rwanda deal was announced, the PA said. Image: Immigrants escorted a Border Guard boat on Sunday after being rescued while crossing the English Channel. Photo: Reuters The government has been challenged over Rwanda’s plans A government spokesman said: “The increase in dangerous Channel crossings is unacceptable. “Not only is this a blatant abuse of our immigration laws, but it also affects UK taxpayers, endangering our lives and our ability to help refugees come to the UK through safe and legal routes.” The government’s new bill on nationality and borders, which became law last Thursday, allows Interior Minister Pretty Patel to pursue what he described as a “world first” agreement with Rwanda. The agreement means that the East African nation may accept asylum seekers deemed inadmissible by the United Kingdom as arriving “illegally” under the new immigration rules, although these rules already face legal challenges. Former Home Secretary and Prime Minister Theresa May was among those who criticized the plans on the grounds of “legality, practicality and efficiency”, telling lawmakers she feared it could split families and increase the trafficking of women and children.
