Almost 120 migrants crossed the English Channel on Wednesday, with two small boats arriving in British waters and two more still en route from France. This marks the first arrivals in over a week, following a surge of nearly 2,300 migrants crossing in just 10 days earlier this month. French authorities responded to multiple incidents overnight, as people smugglers took advantage of calmer weather to launch overcrowded vessels.
In one incident near Boulogne, a migrant suffered a cardiac arrest and was rushed ashore, while 15 others were rescued. French authorities are investigating whether the victim was crushed due to severe overcrowding. Most small boats carry around 60 migrants, but some have been found with up to 100 people on board. A maritime security source revealed that increasing numbers of African migrants, who either cannot or will not pay smuggling gangs, are forcing their way onto boats, leading to violent clashes and dangerous overcrowding.
The first group of 65 migrants arrived in Dover Harbour aboard the Border Force vessel Typhoon around 9 a.m., followed by another 53 migrants on the vessel Ranger two hours later. These latest arrivals bring the total number of Channel crossings this year to nearly 4,500, deepening the crisis for the Labour government’s border security policies.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer scrapped the previous government’s Rwanda deportation scheme on his first day in office, calling it a “gimmick,” and instead introduced a new Border Security Command with millions in funding. However, eight months on, migrant crossings continue to rise, with this year’s numbers on track to surpass last year’s record of over 36,800.
Critics are urging the government to implement a stronger deterrent, similar to the Rwanda scheme, to address the ongoing crisis. A Home Office spokesperson stated, “We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security. The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay. We will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.”
The situation highlights the growing challenges of managing illegal migration and the urgent need for effective solutions to prevent further tragedies in the Channel.
