As the government struggled with legal challenges at the last minute to stop the first deportation flight departing on Tuesday, hundreds of people made the dangerous crossing of France. More than 10,700 people have arrived in the UK by small boat this year, according to data gathered and analyzed by Sky News. That is double the number that arrived in Britain at the same time last year, the figures show. The English Channel hosts dangerous waters that have in the past cost the lives of those trying to cross in boats, including the 27 people who lost their lives when their boat sank last November. Home Secretary Pretty Patel and the government have repeatedly pledged to make the Channel Road “unsustainable” and pledged tens of millions of pounds to France to help address the issue. More transit efforts are expected on Wednesday as the weather is calm. Ms Patel announced Rwanda’s policy on April 14, the day after 651 people crossed the Channel, the highest rate ever this year. The number of arrivals on Tuesday is the highest since April 14, when 562 people crossed. Ministers defend Rwandan policy, but activists say it is “barbaric” Campaigns say the policy is inhumane and Church of England leaders say it shames Britain, but ministers say it will prevent crossings and “break the business model” of human trafficking gangs. Clare Moseley, founder of the charity Care4Calais, an immigrant charity, told Sky News: “Rwanda’s policy is utterly barbaric and will be a milestone in our history, especially as more humane and effective alternatives are available. “If the government really wanted to stop the smugglers and save lives, it would give visas to other refugees to cross the Channel in a similar way to the Ukrainians. “This would shut down the smugglers overnight.” Image: Many of the boats making the voyage are not navigable – like the one found in Dover on Tuesday More and more people are packing in boats About 28,526 people crossed the Channel last year, according to official figures, but that is expected to nearly double in 2022, according to a union representing Border Force workers. The prediction was made even before the invasion of Ukraine, which has caused refugees to flee the conflict. The number of people making the perilous journey to the UK from northern France has risen in recent years, although asylum applications in Britain are still lagging behind other European countries. Evidence also suggests that more and more people are packing into individual boats starting in France – likely to lead to increased profits for smugglers and more and more risks for those making the fraudulent crossing. An average of 32 people have been found on small boats in UK waters in 2022 so far, up from 28 last year and 13 in 2020, according to a Sky News analysis.
