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The National
3 hours ago
- General
- The National
Two Afghans jailed over migrant boat crossing that killed woman and child
Two Afghans have been sentenced to jail for piloting an overcrowded boat in which a woman and a boy aged eight died as they attempted to cross the English Channel. Shah Salim Sajjadi, 38, and Safiollah Mohammadi, 25, pressed ahead despite knowing the vessel was dangerously overcrowded, the UK's National Crime Agency has said. Their conviction comes as figures show that so far this year, 14,812 migrants have made the crossing, with 1,195 arriving on May 31 alone, a record for a single day and an increase of 40 per cent compared to the same time last year. The UK Home Office has also released data showing there has been an increase in the number of days when conditions are favourable for crossing in small boats, known as 'red days'. The woman and child who died on the boat piloted by Sajjadi and Mohammadi on May 21 last year were Turkish nationals, according to reports at the time. They were found dead in an overloaded boat from the northern town of Gravelines, carrying some 80 migrants who requested help from a French navy vessel. The small boats used by smugglers to take asylum seekers across the Channel are often so overloaded that passengers die of suffocation or are crushed to death. The French military intervened when authorities were informed that two passengers on board were unconscious. They were pronounced dead by a medical team and taken to the port city of Calais, along with 10 other passengers who had requested assistance. The boat continued its journey towards the UK. Those on board included Iranians, Iraqis and Sudanese. Sajjadi and Mohammadi were later charged with enabling illegal immigration to the UK, and pleaded guilty during a hearing at Folkestone Magistrates. They have been sentenced to eight months in prison. National Crime Agency branch commander Adam Berry said: 'This tragic incident demonstrates just how dangerous these crossings are, and the callous nature of those who organise them. The boat in question was dangerously over-crowded, but Sajjadi and Mohammadi chose to carry on with their journey.' Mr Berry added that the agency is continuing to work with the French authorities to investigate the circumstances of the crossing and the fatalities. Meanwhile data shows that, in 12 months to April this year, there were 190 red days, compared to 106 in 2024, and 102 in the previous year. The Labour government came to power in July 2024. 'Small boat arrival numbers are subject to seasonal fluctuations in part due to changes in the weather, typically with peaks in warmer summer months when crossing conditions are more favourable," the Home office said. 'Just as small boat arrivals are subject to seasonal variation through any given year, there is also variation in arrivals across years.' But Chris Philp, the Conservatives shadow Home Secretary, blamed the increase in small numbers on the Labour mistakenly cancelling the plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, which would have acted as a deterrent. 'Labour seems to think praying for bad weather is a good border security strategy. This is a weak Government, with no plan to end illegal immigrants crossing the Channel. 'That's why 2025 is the worst year in history for illegal crossings - not the weather. This is a clear fail for our weak Prime Minister and his weak Home Secretary.' Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has called for greater assistance from France in tackling the people smugglers, who are launching boats down further away from the coast to exploit loopholes in French rules that have stopped police from taking any action in the sea. 'The previous Government raised the issue with France for years, but to no avail, and I have raised it with the French Government since the summer,' she told the House of Commons. 'The French Minister of the Interior, and the French Cabinet, have now agreed that their rules need to change. 'French maritime review is looking at what new operational tactics they will use, and we are urging France to complete the review and implement the changes as swiftly as possible. "This weekend I have again been in touch with the French Minister of the Interior, who supports stronger action, and further discussions are under way this week. I will update the House in due course."
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
New 2025 record as nearly 1,200 migrants reach UK in small boats in one day
Nearly 1,200 migrants arrived in the UK on Saturday, crossing the English Channel from France in small boats, new government figures have revealed. The Home Office confirmed that 1,194 migrants made the journey in 18 boats, capitalising on settled weather conditions. This marks the highest number recorded on a single day this year, bringing the provisional annual total to 14,811. The figure is 42 per cent higher than at the same point last year, increasing pressure on the Labour government, which came to power a year ago partly due to public dissatisfaction with the previous Conservative administration's attempts to control the crossings. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has promised to tackle the issue by dismantling the criminal gangs facilitating the crossings. This comes after his government abandoned the Conservative plan to send migrants arriving in the UK through unauthorised channels to Rwanda. Since gaining power, Sir Keir's government has sought better intelligence-sharing internationally, enhanced enforcement operations in northern France and has adopted tougher rules in its immigration legislation. French police officers were seen watching on Saturday as migrants boarded at a beach in Gravelines, between Calais and Dunkirk. Authorities were then pictured escorting the boats. French authorities said they rescued 184 people. "Pretty shocking, those scenes yesterday," Defence Secretary John Healey told Sky News. He added that it is a "really big problem" that French police are unable to intervene to intercept boats in shallow waters, adding that the UK is pressing for the French to put new rules into operation so they can intervene. "They're not doing it, but, but for the first time for years – we've got the level of cooperation needed," he told Sky News. "We've got the agreement that they will change the way they work, and our concentration now is to push them to get that into operation so they can intercept these smugglers and stop these people in the boats, not just on the shore." Despite French and UK efforts, the cross-Channel route, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, remains a major smuggling corridor for people fleeing conflict or poverty. Many migrants favour the UK for reasons of language, family ties or perceived easier access to asylum and work. The Home Office says 36,816 people arrived in the UK on small boats in 2024, 25 per cent more than in 2023 (29,437). The highest number of arrivals was in 2022, with 45,774.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
The number of migrants reaching the UK in small boats in a single day hits a 2025 high
LONDON (AP) — U.K. government figures Sunday showed nearly 1,200 migrants arrived in the country Saturday in small boats from France across the English Channel, the highest number recorded on a single day so far this year. The latest Home Office figures show that 1,194 migrants arrived in 18 boats Saturday in what were settled weather conditions, bringing the provisional annual total so far to 14,811. That's 42% higher than the same point last year, an increase that has piled pressure on the Labour government, which returned to power nearly a year ago partly on disillusionment with the previous Conservative administration 's efforts to get a grip on the the numbers making the crossing. Having ditched the Conservative government's plan to send migrants who arrived in the U.K. by unauthorized means to Rwanda, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government would get control by smashing the gangs and the business models that sustain their smuggling operations. Since gaining power, Starmer's government has sought better intelligence-sharing internationally, enhanced enforcement operations in northern France and has adopted tougher rules in its immigration legislation. French police officers were seen watching Saturday as migrants boarded at a beach in Gravelines, between Calais and Dunkirk, and authorities were then pictured escorting the boats. French authorities said they rescued 184 people. 'Pretty shocking, those scenes yesterday," Defense Secretary John Healey told Sky News. He added that it is a 'really big problem' that French police are unable to intervene to intercept boats in shallow waters, adding that the U.K. is pressing for the French to put new rules into operation so they can intervene. 'They're not doing it, but, but for the first time for years … we've got the level of cooperation needed," he told Sky News. 'We've got the agreement that they will change the way they work, and our concentration now is to push them to get that into operation so they can intercept these smugglers and stop these people in the boats, not just on the shore.' Despite French and U.K. efforts, the cross-Channel route, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, remains a major smuggling corridor for people fleeing conflict or poverty. Many migrants favor the U.K. for reasons of language, family ties or perceived easier access to asylum and work. The Home Office says 36,816 people arrived in the UK on small boats in 2024, 25% more than in 2023 (29,437). The highest number of arrivals was in 2022, with 45,774. Pan Pylas, The Associated Press
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Migrant daily arrivals top 1,000 for first time this year
More than 1,100 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel on Saturday, the highest number recorded on a single day so far this year. The latest Home Office figures show that 1,194 migrants arrived in 18 boats, bringing the provisional annual total so far to 14,811. This is 42% higher than the same point last year (10,448) and 95% up from the same point in 2023 (7,610), according to the PA news agency analysis of the data. It is still lower than the highest daily total of 1,305 arrivals since data began in 2018, which was recorded on September 3, 2022. Defence Secretary John Healey said the scenes of migrants being picked up by smugglers 'like a taxi' to be brought to the UK were 'shocking'. He said it is a 'really big problem' that French police are unable to intervene to intercept boats in shallow waters. French police officers were seen watching as migrants, including children, boarded at a beach in Gravelines, between Calais and Dunkirk, and authorities were then pictured escorting the boats. French authorities said they rescued 184 people. Mr Healey said the UK is pressing for the French to put new rules into operation so they can intervene. 'They're not doing it, but, but for the first time for years … we've got the level of co-operation needed. 'We've got the agreement that they will change the way they work, and our concentration now is to push them to get that into operation so they can intercept these smugglers and stop these people in the boats, not just on the shore,' he told the Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme on Sky News. He said Britain has 'lost control of its borders over the last five years'. 'Pretty shocking, those scenes yesterday,' Mr Healey said. He added: 'We saw the smugglers launching elsewhere and coming around like a taxi to pick them up.' Nigel Farage posted a video on X of what appeared to be migrants in a dinghy marked with Saturday's date. The Reform UK leader asked: 'Where are all the women and children?' There were some women and children among those pictured boarding boats in French waters. The UK agreed a £480 million deal with France to beef up its efforts to stop migrants in 2023 under former prime minister Rishi Sunak. It was the latest in a series of agreements with France since 2014 aimed at cracking down on crossings. This year is on course to set a record, with the 14,811 total arrivals so far the highest recorded for the first five months of a year. It has also surpassed the highest total recorded for the first six months of the year, which was previously 13,489 on June 30 last year. In 2024, the number of arrivals did not reach more than 14,000 until July 9 (14,058). Sir Keir Starmer's Government has pledged to 'smash the gangs' behind people-smuggling operations to bring down crossings. A Home Office spokesperson pointed to measures to share intelligence internationally, enhance enforcement operations in northern France and introduce tougher rules in its immigration legislation. 'We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security. 'The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay and we will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice. 'That is why this Government has put together a serious plan to take down these networks at every stage.'
National Post
2 days ago
- General
- National Post
Almost 1,200 migrants made English Channel crossings into U.K. Saturday, largest so far in 2025
U.K. government figures Sunday showed that more than 1,100 migrants arrived in the country on Saturday in small boats from France across the English Channel, the highest number recorded on a single day so far this year. Article content Article content The latest Home Office figures show that 1,194 migrants arrived in 18 boats on Saturday in what were settled weather conditions, bringing the provisional annual total so far to 14,811. Article content That's 42 per cent higher than the same point last year, an increase that has piled pressure on the Labour government, which returned to power nearly a year ago partly on disillusionment with the previous Conservative administration's efforts to get a grip on the numbers making the crossing. Article content Having ditched the Conservative government's plan to send migrants who arrived in the U.K. by unauthorized means to Rwanda, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government would get control by smashing the gangs and the business models that sustain their smuggling operations. Article content Article content Since gaining power, Starmer's government has sought better intelligence-sharing internationally, enhanced enforcement operations in northern France and has adopted tougher rules in its immigration legislation. Article content French police officers were seen watching Saturday as migrants boarded at a beach in Gravelines, between Calais and Dunkirk, and authorities were then pictured escorting the boats. French authorities said they rescued 184 people. Article content Article content 'Pretty shocking, those scenes yesterday,' Defence Secretary John Healey told Sky News. Article content Article content He added that it is a 'really big problem' that French police are unable to intervene to intercept boats in shallow waters, adding that the U.K. is pressing for the French to put new rules into operation so they can intervene. Article content 'They're not doing it, but, but for the first time for years … we've got the level of cooperation needed,' he told Sky News. 'We've got the agreement that they will change the way they work, and our concentration now is to push them to get that into operation so they can intercept these smugglers and stop these people in the boats, not just on the shore.' Article content Article content Despite French and U.K. efforts, the cross-Channel route, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, remains a major smuggling corridor for people fleeing conflict or poverty. Many migrants favour the U.K. for reasons of language, family ties or perceived easier access to asylum and work. Article content The Home Office says 36,816 people arrived in the U.K. on small boats in 2024, 25 per cent more than in 2023 (29,437). The highest number of arrivals was in 2022, with 45,774. Article content
