Three boats carrying 124 migrants made the perilous journey throughout the English Channel on Saturday, based on the Residence Workplace. This brings the full variety of arrivals this yr to 1,506, lower than the two,072 recorded on the identical time in 2023 however greater than the 1,339 in 2022.
The Border Pressure intercepted a complete of 171 folks this week, with the very best single-day crossing up to now this yr being 358 on January 17. Other than the crossings on Saturday and Thursday, no small boats had been intercepted since January 31.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to ”cease the boats” as a part of his management marketing campaign forward of an anticipated normal election later this yr. His Security of Rwanda Invoice handed the Commons after he quelled a Tory riot that sought to toughen the laws.
The invoice cleared its first main hurdle within the Home of Lords final month, however faces quite a few amendments within the higher chamber and an prolonged tussle between the Commons and Lords. Mr Sunak has urged friends to not block ”the desire of the folks” by opposing the Invoice.
The Lords start an in depth examination of the Invoice within the committee stage on Monday. The asylum scheme comes with a £290million price ticket, however a collection of authorized challenges have meant no flights have taken off because it was proposed in 2022.
Based on the plan, individuals who make the dangerous journey throughout the Channel in small boats could possibly be despatched to Rwanda as an alternative of being allowed to use for asylum within the UK.