More than 5,000 migrants reach UK by boats across English Channel in 2020
More than 5,000 migrants have crossed to the UK in small boats so far in 2020, analysis by the Press Association suggests.
The number of people trying to reach British shores has surged in the summer months, prompting the government to deploy RAF planes to the English Channel in an effort to tackle the problem.
More than 1,000 others are known to have been intercepted by French authorities as they tried to reach the UK.
It comes in spite of Home Secretary Priti Patel's vow last year that migrant crossings would be an “infrequent phenomenon” by now, and her recent pledge to make the route “completely unviable”.
French prosecutors have launched an investigation following the death of a 16-year-old Sudanese migrant whose body was found on a beach near Calais earlier this week.
Recent attempts by the Government to put a stop to migrant crossings have included asking the armed forces for help and the appointment of a new “clandestine Channel threat commander”.
Meanwhile, the government has called on councils to “take responsibility” as it urgently tries to find care for lone migrant children who have crossed the Channel to the UK.
Declared nationalities of migrants intercepted by Border Force have included:
Iraqi, Iranian, Sudanese, Yemeni, Syrian, Eritrean, Kuwaiti, Tajikstani, Vietnamese, Guinean, Malian, Ethiopian, Turkish, Afghan, Palestinian, Sri Lankan, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Pakistani, Chadian, Somali, Togolese, Nigerian, Libyan, South Sudanese, Albanian and Chinese.
Dan O’Mahoney, the Home Office’s new clandestine Channel threat commander, returned to France on Thursday to continue discussions with officials in Paris and Calais in a bid to tackle the migrant crossings crisis.
Late on Thursday, an emotional plea for compassion for migrants, featuring NHS cleaner Hassan Akkad, was beamed on to the White Cliffs of Dover.
Mr Akkad, a Syrian refugee who crossed to Britain several years ago, highlighted the “terrifying and devastating” journeys so many people are making to reach the UK by boat, and blamed the government for using the crisis as a distraction from the coronavirus pandemic.
The giant projection was the latest stunt from Led By Donkeys, a group of activists famed for their giant billboards of politicians’ tweets.
In the video, he said: “Hello everyone. Apologies for taking over the cliff but I have a few words that I would love to share with you.
“My name is Hassan and five years ago I was on the other side of this Channel trying to cross here.
“These cliffs were actually visible from our makeshift camp and they represented hope.”
He argued that Britain is not facing a refugee crisis, but the migrant crossings are being used as a distraction by the Government.