What's happened
Since Sir Keir Starmer's election in July, over 20,000 migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats, marking a significant increase compared to last year. The government faces pressure to address illegal migration amid rising public concern and political scrutiny.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to BBC News, the number of small boat crossings has surpassed 20,000 since Labour took power, with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper attributing this to favorable weather conditions. The Guardian highlights that the recent spike is linked to a record number of calm days in the Channel, with 6,288 crossings occurring during a 31-day period of favorable weather. Meanwhile, critics argue that the abandonment of the Rwanda policy has removed a crucial deterrent, as noted by Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, who described the government's approach as 'weak and vacuous.' This divergence in perspectives illustrates the ongoing political debate surrounding immigration policy in the UK.
How we got here
The surge in small boat crossings follows a period of political change in the UK, with Labour's victory in July 2024. The government has shifted its approach from previous policies, including the controversial Rwanda deportation plan, to focus on tackling smuggling gangs.
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More on these topics
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country located off the northÂwestern coast of the European mainland.
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Sir Keir Rodney Starmer KCB QC MP is a British politician and former lawyer who has served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition since 2020. He has been Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015.
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Christopher Ian Brian Mynott Philp is a British Conservative Party politician. He was elected in May 2015 as the Member of Parliament for Croydon South. In August 2019 he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
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Rwanda, formerly Ruanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley where the African Great Lakes region and East Africa converge. One of the smallest countries on the African mainland, its capital city is Kigali.
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Kurdistan is a roughly defined geo-cultural territory in Western Asia wherein the Kurdish people form a prominent majority population and the Kurdish culture, languages, and national identity have historically been based.
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Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in Western Asia, bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, Kuwait to the southeast, Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan to the southwest and Syria to the west.