UK Borders in Chaos: Migrant Crossings Surge as Labour Faces Backlash Over Broken Promises!
A group of people believed to be migrants was brought to Dover, Kent, by a Border Force vessel earlier today. This has sparked fresh criticism from the Conservative Party, who claim Labour has “lost control” of the UK’s borders.
According to recent figures, over 1,000 migrants have crossed into the UK by small boats since the start of the year—a milestone reached a full week earlier than the same point last year.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp did not hold back in his criticism of Labour’s approach to illegal migration. He argued that Labour’s promise to “smash the gangs” responsible for smuggling people across the Channel has completely failed.
Instead of reducing crossings, the number of small boat arrivals has increased by 30% since Labour took office. Philp pointed to Labour’s decision to cancel the Rwanda deal—an agreement that was supposed to deter illegal crossings—as one of the main reasons for this rise.
The rising number of arrivals has created a strain on resources, forcing Labour to reopen asylum hotels despite promising to end their use. Philp accused Labour of breaking their manifesto pledge and said their actions show a lack of control over the borders.
Just this morning, two boats carrying over 120 people were intercepted in the English Channel and brought to Dover. This brings the total number of migrants crossing illegally from France to 1,013 since the start of the year.
To give a sense of scale, in 2024, at least 36,816 people made the same dangerous journey across the Channel, and tragically, 78 of them lost their lives.
Labour had pledged during their campaign to improve the asylum system and stop relying on hotels to house migrants. Dame Angela, a senior Labour official, defended the party’s performance, saying they inherited a broken system.
She explained that under the previous government, fewer than 1,000 asylum cases were processed each month. However, Labour has now increased the processing rate to 10,000 cases per month. Despite this improvement, the issue of small boat crossings remains a pressing challenge.
Critics argue that Labour’s handling of the issue is not enough to address the growing crisis, while supporters say they are working to fix a deeply flawed system left by the previous administration. The debate over migration continues to divide opinions across the country.
