Lifeboats were scrambled to rescue migrants who fell into the English Channel on Thursday. Statistics suggest that 100,000 people have arrived in Britain on small boats in the past five years.
The number of people crossing the English Channel on small boats in the last five-and-a-half years. However, it could have passed 100,000 following the fresh arrivals of migrants on lifeboats on Thursday.
PA news agency analysis of Government figures since current records began on January 1, 2018. It showed that, as of Tuesday, 99,960 people have arrived in the UK after making the journey. And RNLI lifeboats were spotted bringing dozens to shore on Thursday, meaning it is likely the milestone has been reached.
An eyewitness said more than 40 people appeared to be brought ashore on board two lifeboats. Which had attended a dinghy out in the Channel.
A further 250 migrants were brought to shore in Kent on Thursday morning. According to several news reports, they were getting the total number of illegal crossings in the past five and a half years to 100,210.
The milestone sheds new light on the crisis, and places added pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to fulfil his pledge to “stop the boats”.
On Thursday morning, a witness described seeing women and children among a group of about 40 people on a lifeboat off the coast of south-east England. One woman was carrying a small child in her arms, they said.
From the beginning of January 2023 to August 9, figures show 15,071 people crossed the Channel.
Tory Party deputy chairman Lee Anderson said he is ‘very angry’ about the 100,000 figure. ‘If things don’t go to plan,’ the Government may have to take ‘drastic measures’ and leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Past Record
Last year’s 45,755 people crossing was 60 percent higher than in 2021. When 28,526 migrants arrived in the UK. That compared with 8,466 in 2020, 1,843 in 2019, and 299 in 2018.
The drone, based out of Lydd airport in Kent, had been monitoring Channel migrants when it suffered a technical failure and ditched in the water.
Today, authorities have intercepted at least 11 dinghies carrying around 550 people.