A record number of migrants crossed the Channel in a single day since Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister, the Home Office revealed on Tuesday. According to the Home Office, 427 people made the journey in seven boats on Monday, bringing the provisional total for the year to 14,759. More than 1,000 migrants have arrived in the UK since Labour won the election just under two weeks ago.
The total for 2024 to date is 12% higher than the number recorded this time last year, which was 13,200, and up 1% compared to the same period in 2022, when 14,554 migrants were recorded. Last year, 29,437 migrants arrived in the UK after making the journey, which was down 36% from a record 45,774 in 2022.
Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged last week during his visit to the NATO summit in Washington that the small-boats crisis might worsen before it improves and that the number of crossings is increasing. On his first day in office, he scrapped Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda scheme, reallocating funds to establish a new Border Security Command. This new command will oversee the recruitment of hundreds of new officers and investigators tasked with dismantling people-smuggling gangs.
The Labour Party also pledged to create a new enforcement and returns unit to negotiate new agreements for removing migrants and fast-tracking deportations. Sir Keir has expressed his intention to negotiate a new deal to return migrants to the EU, which some officials believe is essential for deterring crossings. The UK has indicated it might be willing to accept unaccompanied migrant children and asylum seekers with family connections in exchange.
A Home Office spokesman stated, “Everyone wants to see an end to the dangerous small-boat crossings. They are undermining our border security and putting lives at risk. We are taking action to dismantle the people smuggling gangs responsible for this trade, establishing a new Border Security Command to unify our intelligence and enforcement agencies, equipped with new counter-terror-style powers and hundreds of personnel stationed in the UK and overseas. Our staff continue with their dedicated mission to save lives in the Channel while working with our French and other international partners to ensure the criminals responsible face the full extent of the law.”