This content was posted on 02. August 2022 – 12:49
(AFP)
Nearly 700 migrants and asylum seekers crossed the English Channel into the UK on Monday, a new record this year, the British government said on Tuesday.
Recent visits suggest the government’s controversial policy of deporting people trying to make the dangerous crossing to Rwanda has failed to deter them.
The defense ministry said 696 migrants arrived in 14 small boats on Monday, the highest daily number since 2022 and the second time this year that it has exceeded 600.
Large groups, including young children, were taken by bus to processing centers in Ramsgate, on the Kent coast in southeast England.
So far, in 2022, more than 17,000 people have crossed the English Channel to the UK – one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes – according to government data.
More than 28,500 people, mostly young people, arrived on British shores last year.
The daily record, 853, was set in November 2021.
The number of crossings varies throughout the year depending on the weather and control measures on the north coast of France.
In an effort to stem the influx, the UK announced a new return policy to Rwanda this year. However, the first flight scheduled to take off in June was put on hold due to legal issues and the policy remains in limbo.
The UK sends millions of euros a year to France to help stop ferry crossings, including extra coastal patrols and appropriate equipment such as night-vision goggles.
The two conservative contenders to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, have vowed to stick to Rwanda’s policy.
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