Based on data, some 19,756 people had already arrived in the UK in small boats after sailing busy shipping lanes from France.
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Figures reveal that more than 20,000 people have made dangerous trips to the UK across the English Channel since the start of the year. They have got into small boats. About 456 people were saved by UK authorities. They tried to cross on Tuesday.
About 20,000 people made dangerous trips to the UK this year
Based on data, some 19,756 people had already arrived in the UK in small boats after sailing busy shipping lanes from France.
Dangerous trips facilitated by criminal gangs
Dan O’Mahoney, Clandestine Channel Threat Commander for the Home Office, explained the journey as “dangerous, unnecessary and facilitated by rough criminal gangs gaining from agony”.
He added that the government is operating with the French to stop boats leaving their beaches and crackdown on the criminals driving these crossings. The French authorities also stopped 343 people from entering the UK on Tuesday.
Three people are thought to be unaccounted for after trying to cross from France to the UK in a dinghy. Last week, Home Secretary Priti Patel called that incident “horrifying” and an “absolute tragedy”.
Sacha Deshmukh commented about dangerous trips
Chief executive Sacha Deshmukh said in a statement that people need to memorise that these unsafe crossings are happening because the Government has contributed no safe alternative for people to use their right to seek shelter here.
“Tragically, the Government seems more interested in playing politics with asylum than in fulfilling its responsibilities toward people in need of a place of safety,” added her.
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