UK: Migrant crossings break 2021's record - tens of thousands made the journey
UK: Migrant crossings break 2021's record - tens of thousands made the journey
Follow @KnightsTempOrgMore than 45,000 migrants crossed the Channel to get to the UK last year, Government figures have shown - a record annual tally. Ministry of Defence offence data reveals 45,756 migrants made the dangerous voyage in flimsy dinghies in 2022, the highest total ever recorded.
The final known crossings of the year took place on Christmas Day, when 90 people crossed from France in two boats.
The MoD recorded no further crossings for the last six days of 2022 amid bad weather conditions.
The provisional annual total for 2022 is 60 percent up on the 28,526 recorded for the whole of 2021, although lower than the 60,000 that Home Office officials previously predicted could make the journey.
Over the last 12 months, politicians have made several weak attempts to get a grip on the migrant crisis as pressure intensified amid a chaotic period which saw three Prime Ministers and three home secretaries in a matter of months.
The number of migrants crossing the Channel has steadily increased since 299 people were detected in 2018.