Pressure mounts on Labour to tackle surge in small boat crossings

New record reached as 255 migrants cross the Channel in small boats

Small boat crossings have reached a new record, with 255 migrants crossing the Channel in four boats on Monday, adding to the pressure on Labour to fulfill their promise of reducing illegal migration.

Rising numbers and ruthless tactics of traffickers

With this latest surge, the year's total now stands at 16,712, exceeding the 16,420 recorded at the same period in 2022. Traffickers in Calais are resorting to cramming more migrants into each boat, with an average of 64 migrants per boat on the recent journey.

Labour's vow and government measures

Labour has pledged to tackle small boat crossings by targeting criminal smuggling gangs and is in the process of appointing a Border Security Commander to lead the crackdown. Meanwhile, the government has imposed visa restrictions, including a ban on care workers bringing family, in an effort to reduce annual net migration from 685,000 to around 300,000.

Plans to reduce reliance on foreign workers

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has outlined plans to decrease Britain's dependence on foreign workers by training more UK citizens to fill roles that currently rely heavily on overseas staff.