More than 2,000 illegal immigrants braved the dangerous waters of the Pacific Ocean English channel It reached the shores of the United Kingdom from France So far this year, the British government reported this Monday.
The British Home Office said this weekend 290 irregular immigrants They arrived in five unstable boats in one day, the largest number of arrivals in one day since January 17, when 358 people were recorded.
This increase brings the provisional total number of arrivals in 2024 to In 2006, 32% less than last year Currently, but 49% more than in 2022, the ministry said.
The year 2023 concluded with 29,437 migrants arriving on British shoresThis represents a 36% decline compared to the record 45,774 arrivals in 2022.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak The country is under pressure to address the issue of illegal immigration, which has prompted it to seek to revive the controversial procedure of deporting illegal immigrants by plane to the African country of Rwanda, in search of a deterrent effect.
The so-called Rwanda Plan It seeks to deport those who arrive illegally in the UK across the English Channel to Rwanda, where their asylum claims will be processed without the possibility of return, except in exceptional circumstances.
The plan, initially proposed by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2022, has faced several legal challenges, including a ban by the European Court of Human Rights and questions about Rwanda's safety for asylum seekers.
Trying to save the plan from another negative judgment before Supreme Court of the United KingdomSunak proposed a new treaty with Rwanda and legislation that would declare the African country safe. However, the legislation is facing resistance in the House of Lords, the upper chamber of Parliament, which could delay its implementation.
During an interview with the BBC, Prime Minister Sunak defended the use of an air base in Scampton, eastern England. To accommodate asylum seekers, he stressed the importance of the Rwanda Plan.
“I'm not ignoring them. We need to make sure we house people in a suitable place, and the best way to solve this problem in the long term is to stop people coming in the first place,” Sunak said.
“So anyone who cares about this should support us in passing the Rwanda Bill through Parliament so that we can put in place a deterrent,” he said.
Sunak insisted he understood people's “frustration”. to use the site and stated, “I hope we don't have to do any of this, whether in Scampton or other locations around the country, or even in hotels and communities across our country that are now being used to house illegal immigrants.” He added, “I don't think any of the “It's true, and it costs a fortune.”
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