UK: Small boat crossings see a 33% decline compared to last year

The newest numbers indicate a 33% decrease in small-boat arrivals of migrants in the UK when compared to the previous year. The Home Office reported ’excellent progress’ in the amount of Channel landings this year, with 26,605 so far this year compared to 39,883 at the same stage in 2022. This indicates that the running total was 33% lower than it was the previous year. However, depending on the pattern of arrivals, the year-over-year percentage percentages might vary dramatically, so there’s a chance ground could be lost throughout the remainder of this year. In October of last year, 6,900 migrants from northern France arrived in Britain. However, October saw just 1,775, excluding the unconfirmed number from yesterday, which was estimated to be approximately 100 and will not significantly impact the 33% decline. Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, took action last week to “dispel the myth” propagated by Labour, which held that the decline in numbers was caused by unfavorable weather in the Channel. ‘The weather circumstances this year were more favourable to small boat crossings than in 2022, and yet we’ve still witnessed a considerable drop,’ he told the members of parliament. Ministers believe that the fall has been caused by tough language, the possibility of the Rwandan asylum accord, and an agreement with Albania on repatriation. Revisions to Home Office records from last year show that there were six days on which more than 1,000 migrants arrived in Britain, with a record 1,305 arriving on September 3. The highest day total so far this year was 872 on September 2. Suella Braverman, the home secretary, is awaiting the outcome of her Supreme Court appeal against the Rwandan asylum program. In a June verdict, judges of the Court of Appeal ruled that the program violated human rights. The Supreme Court is debating whether to reverse that ruling, which would ultimately permit the start of removals.