The English Channel records an unprecedented increase in boats bound for England

The English channel live Unprecedented increase Of the boats carrying illegal immigrants trying to reach the shores of England. A dangerous and minority route, but one that is increasing, due to the increasingly impenetrable border controls on ferries and trucks crossing from France a Britain. So far, 12,000 immigrants They tried to cross in small boats since the beginning of 2021, a number already Exceed 8,500 in 2020 and 2,300 in 2019. In one day this summer, 828 asylum seekers have arrived.

From the port of Galic Calais for british Dover There are barely 34 kilometers, but this distance can reach 240 kilometers in other parts of the canal. The fragile boats used by smuggling networks to take advantage of the night are exposed to the mercy of strong currents, tides and sudden change in weather conditions in the region. Added to this is the fact that this strip of the Atlantic Ocean is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. More than 500 ships pass through it every day.

“Save everyone”

The situation is not as desperate as the tragedies we see on a daily basis in Mediterranean seaBut there have already been dozens of deaths and rescues at sea of ​​distressed migrants. If many disasters were averted, it was thanks to the intervention of members Royal National Lifeguard Foundation (RNLI), which operates its orange speedboats off the shores of Great Britain and Ireland. The British are very proud of this non-profit organization, which was founded in 1824 and employs 40,000 volunteers. His last operations were the rescue of migrants about to drown, which infuriated the far right, when Nigel Farage He accused them of becoming “Taxi service” to illegal gangs.

On many beaches, members of the National League for Nationalities and Diaspora were insulted, booed and threatened. Far from apologizing, the teams claimed their mission. “Our organization exists to save lives at sea. Our mission is to save the entire world, Jane George, director of RNLI, responded to the attacks. The British reaction was perfect. Social media has turned to lifeguards. Characters like the former football player and famous sports broadcaster Gary Lineker The Prime Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, praised the work of RNLI and increased donations from the public by 3,000%. In one day, 232 thousand euros were collected.

hostility and punishment

The xenophobia of the far right aligns with the Home Office’s obsession with immigration numbers. bearer, Priti Patel It exacerbated hostility towards anyone coming from abroad. Brexit had already closed the doors for Europeans who wanted to work in the UK legally, as they had been doing, something that puts Britain’s economy and health under control. Now Patel is processing a file New punitive legislation For migrants who arrive in the country to seek asylum without official papers and for anyone who helps them.

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governments London and Paris Years ago, they developed a joint plan to combat illegal immigration. This summer they announced a “stage” in this cooperation. The United Kingdom will present France 62.7 million euros until 2022 To enhance the number of French customers and periodicals in the channel, as well as to increase technology. The goal in the near future is to create “smart borders along the coast,” which detect and prevent the arrival of illegal immigrants in boats, inflatables, or otherwise.

At the moment, the number of crossings and migrants through the canal is increasing. Patel says France “should do more to get people to seek asylum in that country rather than go to the UK. This situation could be exacerbated by A wave of refugees and asylum seekers from Afghanistan expected from now on.