Hundreds of migrants cross Channel as Illegal Migration Bill set to become law
The Home Office said 574 people were detected on Tuesday in 12 boats.
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Your support makes all the difference.Nearly 600 migrants crossed the Channel to the UK as the Government hailed its sweeping reforms passing through Parliament.
The Home Office said 574 people were detected on Tuesday in 12 boats, just hours after a dramatic night of voting on the Illegal Migration Bill on Monday which sees it poised to become law.
This is the second highest number of arrivals on a single day this year and suggests an average of around 48 people per boat.
The latest crossings take the provisional total for 2023 so far to 13,774.
While ministers trumpeted the flagship legislation, central to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s pledge to “stop the boats” crossing the Channel, the United Nations denounced the plans.
It came as the Bibby Stockholm barge – which will house 500 asylum seekers – was met by protesters as it arrived in Dorset’s Portland Port a month behind schedule. But two other cruise ships set to house migrants have reportedly been unable to find a berth.
The total number of migrant crossings for 2023 so far is still lower than the more than 15,000 arrivals recorded this time last year.
Overall, 45,755 people made the journey in 2022.
The highest daily number so far this year was on July 7 when 686 people made the crossing.
The Home Office said around 50 asylum seekers will board the Bibby Stockholm from next week with the numbers rising to its maximum capacity over the next few months, despite safety concerns raised by some of the county’s Conservative MPs and locals.
The barge’s arrival came after a night of drama in the Commons in which the Tory frontbench saw off changes being sought by peers to the Bill, including modern slavery protections and child detention limits.
The end of the stand-off between the Lords and MPs paves the way for the Bill to receive royal assent and become law.
The reforms will prevent people from claiming asylum in the UK if they arrive through unauthorised means.
The Government also hopes the changes will ensure detained people are promptly removed, either to their home country or a third country such as Rwanda, which is currently the subject of a legal challenge.
But UN human rights chief Volker Turk and UN high commissioner for refugees Filippo Grandi led outrage at the plans.
In an unusually critical joint statement, they warned the Bill “will have profound consequences for people in need of international protection” and breaks the UK’s obligations under international law.
Downing Street defended the Bill, with the Prime Minister’s official spokesman saying: “We are confident we are acting within international law.”
The Government also stood by its decision to use barges to house migrants, insisting it was a cheaper alternative to housing them in hotels.