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A heated dispute has arisen regarding the increase in small boat crossings this year, which are expected to reach the second highest number on record.
Despite Rishi Sunak’s January pledge to “stop the boats”, 28,453 migrants have crossed the channel in small boats this year, compared with a total of 28,526 in 2021.
Following a hectic weekend in the channel, once the Home Office statistics are refreshed, the overall number of crossings for this year is expected to surpass that of 2021.
This will indicate that the number of small boat crossings has reached the second highest level ever recorded, with a surge of 45,755 in 2022.
According to sources, today has been a hectic day in the channel as all four Border Force catamarans were simultaneously tasked with escorting and collecting duties.
The Labour party strongly criticized the “Tory asylum chaos”, claiming that Mr. Sunak broke his promise to the British people.
Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, stated that Rishi Sunak promised to stop small boats from crossing this year, yet the recent statistics show it will be the second highest year for crossings on record. The chaotic situation regarding asylum seekers under the Tory government persists and Sunak has once again failed to keep his promise to the British public.
However, a person familiar with Home Secretary James Cleverly’s views defended against this criticism, stating that Labour would not effectively address small boat crossings due to their discomfort with the topic.
According to the source, the issue for Labour regarding small boats is their lack of originality in proposing to do tasks that have already been implemented and are being further improved upon. The number of small boat crossings has decreased by 33% and efforts to combat people smuggling gangs have proven successful through collaborative security and intelligence measures between the UK and several European nations.
“Labour was not involved in any of these matters. Meanwhile, Labour is hesitant to admit that they would willingly give control of immigration to the EU because they are uncomfortable with the topic.”
A source from Downing Street referenced statistics indicating a decrease in small boat crossings compared to last year, while other European nations grapple with a significant increase in numbers.
The Labour party has made a commitment to negotiate an agreement with Europol in order to address the issue of smuggling gangs involved in small boat crossings.
Ms Cooper stated that it is time for The Conservatives to put an end to their ineffective Rwanda program and instead implement Labour’s strategy of using a specialized cross-border police unit to collaborate with Europol in a new system of sharing security and intelligence information, in order to combat criminal smuggling organizations.
The main immigration policy of Mr. Sunak, which involves deportations to Rwanda, is facing challenges as the Supreme Court declared it illegal last month. In response, he is working on a new agreement with the African country to address the concerns raised by judges about the plan. Additionally, he plans to pass a law declaring Rwanda as a “safe” country under British law.
However, despite his initial promise to reveal the bill “within days” after its initial rejection, it has been over two weeks and the bill remains unpublished.
Source: independent.co.uk
