MORE than 150,000 illegal migrants have now arrived on small boats – enough to fill a town the size of Blackpool.
The staggering milestone piles pressure on Sir Keir Starmer, who has vowed to crush the criminal gangs behind the crossings.
On Boxing Day alone, 407 people made the dangerous trip in 10 small boats.
And on Christmas Day, 451 migrants crossed the Channel in 11 overcrowded vessels.
Since 2018, the total number of Channel crossings has now reached 150,243.
Senior Tories are now demanding Labour restore the Rwanda plan to stop the crisis from spiralling out of control.
Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary, strongly criticized the ongoing small boat crossings, deeming them entirely unacceptable and calling for their immediate cessation. He emphasized the importance of a country’s ability to maintain control over its borders. Philp asserted that there is no justification for these perilous and unlawful journeys, stating that France is considered a safe country and that individuals in Calais are not escaping persecution.
He highlighted the necessity for a different approach to address the situation, citing the effectiveness of the Rwanda deterrent as an example. Philp explained that the implementation of a policy similar to the Rwanda deterrent, where individuals crossing borders would promptly face removal to Rwanda, could effectively deter such crossings. He also criticized the Labour party for discontinuing the Rwanda program even before its commencement, attributing the 20% increase in crossings to this decision.
“The Government must urgently restore a Rwanda style removals deterrent.”
Those who arrived in Dover on December 25 broke a period of more than a week of no crossings.
Small boat arrivals tend to spike later in the year, as calmer weather in summer and autumn makes the Channel easier to cross.
Days with the perfect mix of low winds and smooth waves, dubbed “red days,” hit a record this autumn.
Between October 11 and November 10, a staggering 26 out of 31 days were prime for crossings, the highest in a single month.
