Great Britain: 40,000 migrants have crossed the Channel

More than 40,000 migrants have crossed the Channel in Great Britain quest’year, the British government announced, in a new recordwhile Britain seeks an agreement with France to combat human trafficking.

The UK defense ministry said the initial total number of people they crossed questyear reached 40,885 refugees, mostly Albanians, Iranians and Afghans, compared to 28,561 refugees last year, indicating a significant increase.

The ministry added that about 972 people were spotted on Saturday on 22 boats going through a dangerous voyage.

And the numbers are in increase for years, from 299 refugees who crossed in 2018 to 1,843 in 2019 and 8,466 in 2020, according to British statistics.

The numbers continued to grow despite several British initiatives, including a plan for the repatriation of migrants in Rwanda, which was blocked by the British judiciary.

And last week, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said a new plan was being prepared with France after his first direct meeting with President Emmanuel Macron.

In Friday’s talks, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and her British counterpart James Cleverly stressed “the urgent need to tackle all forms of illegal immigration, including the transit of small boats, and its cause deep, “according to a joint statement.

The growing number of migrants has increased asylum claims and housing costs, estimated by the UK government at £ 6.8 million ($ 7.8 million) per day, exhausting the efforts of service providers and angering the British.

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick wrote in the Sunday Telegraph that Britain’s “generosity” was “abused” by economic migrants who were “acquiring asylum” in all over Europe.

“(The Britannia Hotel) needs to be finished off and replaced with simple, functional accommodation that doesn’t create an additional attraction,” he added.

According to the Sunday Telegraph, the UK government is examining alternatives to lodging asylum seekers in hotel rooms, including relocation in housing for abandoned students o in cheap cruise ships.

But refugee groups accuse the government of taking a harsh and chaotic approach after an outbreak of disease in an overcrowded asylum treatment center in Manston in south-east England.

Officials said migrants at the facility are being vaccinated against diphtheria due to the high incidence of the highly contagious disease.

Jenrick stressed the importance of closer relations with France and the new partnership will see Britain provide around £ 80 million to Paris in order to strengthen joint actions and operations against human trafficking gangs.