London

Official figures in the UK revealed on Friday (August 11) that more than 100,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats from France to southeast England since public recording of such arrivals began in England in 2018. On Thursday, some 755 migrants were detected on 14 small boats headed for southern coast of England. The figures are from UK interior ministry. This is the highest tally on a single day this year.

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This means that number of arrivals so far this year have nearly reached 160,00. This has taken the total from the year 2018 to 100,715.

The final tally for 2023 appears set to be less than the previous year for the first time since the route began to grow in popularity at the end of the last decade.

Just 299 migrants made the journey in 2018, but during 2020 it had climbed to 8,466 while last year saw a record 45,755 arrivals.

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The lower numbers this year are being attributed to months of particularly poor weather. The poor conditions meant that undertaking the journey in small inflatable vessels became almost impossible.

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French authorities have also stepped up patrols and other deterrent measures after London agreed in March to send Paris hundreds of millions of euros annually towards the effort.

The route is across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes and has caused many tragedies. Boats filled with migrants have capsized and people have drowned in the waters.

Politicisation of the issue

Such crossings by migrants has also become a political issue. This has prompted the UK government to introduced law barring asylum claims by all arrivals via the Channel and other "illegal" routes.

The new law also makes transfer of such migrants to third countries such as Rwanda compulsory. But both policies are currently on hold as legality of sending migrants to east Africa has been challenged in court.

Migrant advocates as well as United Nations' refugee agency have condemned such measures.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government claims it has been forced to pursue the hardline deterrents as the surge in cross-Channel arrivals increasingly stretches resources.

By the end of March this year, Britain's asylum system backlog had swollen to more than 130,000.

The cost of housing those applicants and other migrant arrivals has reached more than £6 million ($7.6 million) a day, according to officials, as they resort to using hotels and other temporary accommodation.

(With inputs from agencies)

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