UK: Just One in 40 Illegal Channel Migrants Returned to EU

The British government has only successfully deported one in 40 illegal boat migrants back to the European Union since the start of last year.

Just 2.6 per cent of the 5,795 boat migrants have been deported since January of 2019. Zero of the 2,860 migrants who have reached Britain since May have been sent back so far.

There are an estimated 48,000 asylum seekers in the UK as of March of this year, according to a report from the National Audit Office (NAO) — more than double the number recorded in 2012. The report projected that the cost of housing the migrants will reach some £4 billion between 2019 and 2029.

In order to simplify the return of failed asylum seekers and illegal migrants, the British government will demand that France begin fingerprinting migrants, which will also serve to prevent them from attempting to cross the English Channel multiple times.

“The French must ensure that migrants who are caught attempting to reach the UK by boat cannot do so again,” said immigration minister Chris Philp.

Philp, who is set to meet with his French counterparts next week, will tell French immigration authorities that migrants caught attempting to illegally cross the Channel should be fingerprinted.

“We need to intercept those who manage to leave France and return those who make it to our shores. That’s why I will continue to push my French counterparts to look hard at interceptions at sea,” Philp added.

One of the main issues preventing the return of migrants to the European Union is that many migrants destroy their identification documents, in order to stymie the deportation process, as countries are less willing to take migrants back without proof of origin.

Keep up to date!

Optional email code

Sign up to our newsletter today!

Send me email updates