Tag: English Channel

More Than 1,000 Illegal Immigrants Cross English Channel in 2 Days

More than 1,000 illegal immigrants arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel in two days, taking the provisional total for the year so far to over 12,500. A total of 384 people were detected on Saturday and 686 on Friday—the new highest daily total this year, according to Home Office figures. It means…


MPs Say No Clear Basis for Accepting Albanian Asylum Claims

There is no clear basis for the UK to accept thousands of asylum applications from Albanian citizens, a cross-party group of MPs has found. The Home Affairs Committee of the House of Commons said in a report (pdf) on Monday that it has found little evidence to indicate significant numbers of Albanian nationals are at…


Rishi Sunak Says Illegal Immigrants Taking Advantage of Britain’s ‘Generosity of Spirit’

Rishi Sunak says the British government has bought or rented three barges to house up to 1,500 illegal immigrants and has said he makes no apology for “tough measures” which are being used to stem the tide of small boats crossing the English Channel. The first of the barges is due to dock in Portland,…


Home Office Launches Ad Campaign to Deter Albanians From Illegal Channel Crossings

The Home Office is set to launch an ad campaign aimed at deterring Albanians from crossing the English Channel illegally to reach the UK with the message that people “face being detained and removed” if they make the journey. The campaign, which starts in Albania next week, will “make clear the perils” illegal immigrants may…


65 Percent of Illegal Immigrants Facing Deportation Claim to Be Modern Slavery Victims

Most illegal immigrants arriving in the UK by small boats who were detained for removal have claimed they were victims of modern slavery, Home Office figures show. Such claims would delay the deportation until a decision is made on their modern slavery claims. According to data released by the Home Office on Thursday, in 2021,…


Alleged People Trafficker Facing Extradition to France Over 27 Deaths Will Challenge Evidence

LONDON—An alleged people trafficker who was arrested by British police in connection with the deaths of 27 illegal immigrants who died when their small boat sank in the English Channel in November 2021, will face a crucial extradition hearing in August this year. Harem Ahmed Abwbaker, 32, was arrested in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, in November 2022…


Afghan Gang Jailed in France for Smuggling Illegal Immigrants to UK in Small Boats

The ringleaders of an Afghan organised crime group have been convicted and jailed in France for smuggling illegal immigrants through the English Channel to the UK in small boats. A total of nine men, all Afghan nationals, were convicted of immigration and organised crime offences on April 21 following a trial in Paris, according to…


UK Minister Attacks ‘Humanitarian Nimbyism,’ Defends Clampdown on Illegal Immigration

A British minister has attacked the “humanitarian nimbyism” practised by politicians who rhetorically welcome refugees but then fail to share the burden caused by illegal immigration. In a speech at the centre-right Policy Exchange think tank on Tuesday, immigration minister Robert Jenrick defended the government’s Illegal Migration Bill and criticised opposition politicians and local authorities…


Illegal Migration Bill Risks Breaching International Rights Obligations: UK Watchdog

The Illegal Migration Bill risks breaching the UK’s international obligations to protect human rights and exposes people to serious harm, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has warned. The bill—which has its remaining stages in the House of Commons on Wednesday—is aimed at clamping down on illegal immigrants reaching the UK by crossing the…


Big Increase in Illegal Immigrants Crossing Channel as Rwanda Threat Lingers

Small boat crossings in the English Channel have begun to surge again with 1,106 illegal immigrants arriving on the English coast in the last week. That figure—which includes 492 people on April 5 alone—compares to 3,793 for the first three months of the year. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has repeatedly pledged to crack down on…