- By Sam Francis
- Political press reporter, BBC News
The PM on migrants crossing the Channel: “The strategy is working, numbers are down for the very first time.”
Two brand-new barges have actually been bought to house approximately 1,000 migrants, the prime minister has actually revealed, as he said strategies to take on little boats crossing the Channel are working.
Rishi Sunak said the area of the brand-new barges will be revealed quickly.
It comes as the PM said the numbers making the crossing by little boats were down by a 5th given that in 2015.
He said a returns handle Albania had actually caused 1,800 individuals being returned to the nation.
The initially barge to hold asylum applicants is because of dock in Portland Port this month, and will house 500 men declaring asylum in the UK.
Mr Sunak said the barges “will ease pressure on regional neighborhoods” and areas in hotels being utilized to house migrants.
Before the barges get here, the federal government will do “substantial engagement with regional neighborhoods” Mr Sunak included.
On Sunday, lots of protesters collected around Portland port to ahead of the arrival the Bibby Stockolm barge, declaring the area was picked without seeking advice from residents.
Nearly 3,000 asylum applicants will likewise be housed on 2 military websites in Wethersfield and Scampton by the fall, Mr Sunak said.
Speaking in Kent, Mr Sunak said his strategy to stop little boat crossings “is beginning to work”.
Mr Sunak said crossings were down 20% in between January and May this year, compared to the very same duration in 2015.
Earlier, the Home Office informed the BBC Mr Sunak had actually been discussing January to March this year, when in truth crossings fell just fell by 17% compared to the very same duration in 2022.
However, the department has actually now said he was describing the figures for January to May after all. These show 7,610 arrivals, compared to 9,607 in the same period last year, a fall of almost 21%.
This is compared to a 30% increase in the number of migrants entering the rest of Europe illegally over the same period, according to Mr Sunak.
However, the biggest increase in the numbers arriving by small boats in 2022 happened during the summer months. This is typically when the weather is best for crossing the Channel.
A revised deal with the French authorities to stop migrant crossings prevented 33,000 illegal crossings last year, Mr Sunak added.
The prime minister added: “With grit and determination, the government can fix this and we are using every tool at our disposal.”
An estimated 500 male migrants will be housed on the Bibby Stockholm
And Mr Sunak said the UK had gone from accepting about one in five Albanian asylum cases to just one in 50.
“So far this year, the number of Albanian small boat arrivals has actually fallen by almost 90%” year-on-year, he said.
Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the government promoting a “policy that doesn’t work” which is “costing a fortune for the taxpayer”.
Sir Keir said the promise of further measures to tackle the crisis was “like Groundhog Day” as crossings continue this year.
Home Office figures reveal about 7,600 people had been detected crossing the Channel so far this year.
In total, 45,755 migrants crossed the Channel in 2022, the highest number since figures began to be collected in 2018.
Crossings are heavily influenced by the weather and the summer months typically see higher numbers making the journey.
The government’s Illegal Migration Bill is currently being debated in the House of Lords. The bill, which will place a legal duty on the home secretary to detain and remove those arriving in the UK unlawfully, has been heavily criticised by peers.
The measures, unveiled in March, are a key part of prime ministers plan to stop little boats crossing the English Channel – which he has actually made a top priority ahead of the next basic election.
