Pressure piles on Labour to cut illegal migration as small boat crossings hit new record
SMALL boat crossings have hit a new record – piling pressure on Labour to come good on their pledge to cut illegal migration.
Some 255 illegal migrants crossed the Channel on Monday in four boats – the same number as the day before.
It brings the year’s total to 16,712, tracking above the 16,420 at the same period in 2022 which is the worst year so far.
Labour has vowed to reduce small boat crossings by going after criminal smuggling gangs and are currently seeking a Border Security Commander to head the blitz.
The Calais-based traffickers appear to be getting more ruthless by cramming evermore people into each boat.
An average of 64 migrants were squeezed into each boat yesterday to make the dangerous journey.
Annual net migration last year hit a monster 685,000, with Sir Keir Starmer promising in the election to wrestle it down.
The figure is projected to fall to around 300,000 after a series of visa curbs imposed by the last Tory government, including a ban on care workers bringing family.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has also laid out plans to reduce Britain’s reliance on foreign workers.
She wants to train more of our own citizens to fill jobs that are heavily dependent on overseas staff.