A recent BBC report has revealed that the number of refugees arriving in the UK via the English Channel in 2024 has increased. According to the report, a total of 18,467 refugees have crossed the English Channel since the beginning of the year until August 12. This number is higher than the figures recorded for the same period in previous years. In fact, the UK recorded the arrival of 29,437 people throughout 2023, all of whom arrived by small boats crossing the English Channel.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to reduce the number of refugees crossing the English Channel by intensifying efforts against human smuggling networks. This follows the new Labor government’s decision to cancel the previous Conservative administration’s controversial plan to deport migrants to Rwanda.
The report indicates that Afghans made up a fifth of all crossings up until March 2024, while Iranians comprised 12% and Turks 11%. Additionally, 85% of the individuals were male, with one-fifth falling between the ages of 25 and 39.
Some 19,395 people applied for asylum in the first three months of 2024. In comparison, 2023 saw a total of 85,000 asylum applications. In 2022, there were approximately 100,000 applications, with 45% of applicants arriving via the English Channel.
Asylum applications in the United Kingdom often experience significant delays, sometimes taking years to process. This has resulted in a backlog of 128,000 applications. Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had promised to clear the backlog by the end of 2023, but 4,500 cases remain unresolved.
In 2023, a total of 6,014 individuals who had their asylum claims rejected were returned. Of these, 1,889 arrived via the English Channel, more than doubling the number of returns in 2022. This significant increase is primarily attributed to a surge in Albanian returns, jumping from 988 to 3,369.
A total of 263,048 individuals arrived in Europe via the English Channel in 2023. Italy welcomed the majority of these arrivals, accounting for approximately 60% of the total. Spain and Greece received 57,071 and 41,561 individuals, respectively. Since the beginning of 2024, 91,500 people have reached Europe by sea.
Regarding asylum applications in Europe, the United Kingdom received 320,035 in 2023, ranking fifth among European countries. Germany processed over 25% of all asylum applications, followed by France (145,095) and Italy (130,595).
