Small boat crossings hit second highest on record as Rishi Sunak slammed for migrant ‘chaos’

A furious row has erupted over small boat channel crossings as the figures this year are set to hit the second highest on record.

Despite Rishi Sunak’s January pledge to “stop the boats”, 28,453 migrants have crossed the channel in small boats this year, compared with a total of 28,526 in 2021.

And after a busy weekend in the channel, when the Home Office figures are updated the total number of crossings this year is set to top 2021’s total.

It will mean small boat crossings are at the second highest level on record, after they surged to 45,755 in 2022.

The Independent understands it has been a particularly busy day in the channel, with all four Border Force catamarans out on escort and collection duties at the same time.

Labour slammed what they described as the “Tory asylum chaos”, accusing Mr Sunak of “breaking a promise to the British people”.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Rishi Sunak claimed he would stop the small boats this year but instead this weekend’s figures are set to make it the second highest year of crossings on record, the Tory asylum chaos is continuing and he has broken another promise he made to the British people.”

But a source close to home secretary James Cleverly hit back, saying Labour would fail to tackle small boat crossings because “deep down they find the whole subject distasteful”.

The source added: “Labour’s problem on small boats is their big idea is to claim they’ll do  things we’ve already been doing for some time and we’re doing more of it. Small boat crossings are down by a third and people smuggling gangs are already being successfully targeted by security and intelligence arrangements between the UK and a range of European countries.

“None of which Labour had a hand in. Meanwhile, what Labour  are shy about saying is they would willingly hand over control of immigration to the EU because deep down they find the whole subject distasteful.”

A Downing Street source pointed to figures showing small boat crossings are down compared with last year, while other European countries struggle with soaring numbers.

Labour has promised to strike a deal with Europol to tackle the smuggling gangs behind small boat crossings.

Ms Cooper said: “It’s time [The Conservatives] stopped wasting time and taxpayers money on the failing Rwanda scheme and instead adopted Labour’s plan to stop the criminal smuggler gangs with a new elite cross-border police force unit to work with Europol in a new security and intelligence sharing arrangement.”

Mr Sunak’s flagship Rwanda deportation policy is on the rocks after the Supreme Court ruled it unlawful last month. He is preparing to unveil a new treaty with the African nation to address judges’ concerns about the plan, while passing a law to deem Rwanda “safe” in British law.

But, having promised to unveil the bill “within days” after his original plan was struck down, it has now been more than two weeks and the bill has not been published.#

A Home Office spokesman said its priority is to “stop the boats” and promised the government will do “whatever it takes”. The spokesman said: “We are in the midst of a global migration crisis, and that challenge is growing. It is affecting countries across Europe whose numbers continue to grow, but ours are falling. “Our priority is to stop the boats – and due to the work of the Small Boats Operational Command, alongside our French partners, small boat crossings are down by a third from the same point last year.

“The two tragic deaths in the Channel last month serve as another stark reminder of why we must disrupt the gangs driving this evil trade. Our thoughts are with the victims’ family and friends at this time.”