More than 10,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel since the start of the year, a record

Since the beginning of the year, arrival records have continued to arrive one after another. More than 10,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel since the start of the year, an unprecedented number, amid campaigning for the country’s legislative elections on July 4.

Illegal immigration is a central issue in the campaign, which officially began on Wednesday when Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the date for the election. The latter promised to put an end to the arrival of illegal migrants and even made it one of his priorities. But on Friday, five new boats reached southern England with 288 migrants on board, according to Home Office data published on Saturday.

Since the start of the year, 10,170 people have crossed the English Channel, many from Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey. This represents an increase of more than 35% over last year at this time of year. A total of more than 30,000 people crossed the waters illegally in 2023, but the number of victims fell sharply from 2022, a record year.

Confrontation between Conservatives and Labor

The Conservative government had hoped to deter migrants from coming to the UK with legislation to deport thousands of asylum seekers to Rwanda. On Thursday, Rishi Sunak admitted the highly controversial project would likely not go ahead before the election and said he wanted to see the first flights after the election if he wins. “Rishi Sunak will take bold action to stop the boats” of migrants, but Home Secretary James Cleverley insisted on Saturday.

Labor, which leads the Conservatives by more than 20 points in the polls, has vowed to scrap its policy of deporting migrants to Rwanda, criticizing the costly and ineffective “trick”. “The government has lost control of our borders,” said Keir Starmer, the opposition leader and future prime minister if Labor wins the election. Labor also believes immigration is too high and has pledged to use counter-terrorism-inspired funds to tackle smuggling gangs.

Crossing the English Channel is particularly dangerous, with at least fifteen migrants having died trying to reach the British coast since January. At the end of April, five migrants died trying to cross the bayou, including a seven-year-old girl, Sarah. These tragedies follow 2023, which saw a record number of deaths along migration routes: the twelve months were the deadliest in a decade for migrants, with at least 8,565 deaths, a 20% increase on the previous year, according to UN figures.