Rishi Sunak's premiership now accounts for a third of small boat arrivals
A third of small boat arrivals since 2018 have now taken place on Rishi Sunak’s watch, after 52 people made the perilous Channel crossing on Friday.
New analysis found the total number of arrivals since Sunak took office had risen to 38,668 - more than a third of the 115,927 who have crossed the channel since the crisis began in January 2018.
Despite Sunak's repeated claims that his plan to stop the boats is working, yesterday's arrivals take the 2024 total to 1,605, almost 19% more than had crossed by this point in 2022
Labour ’s Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the figures show “ Rishi Sunak isn’t the solution, he is part of the problem.”
“Time and again he goes for gimmick rather than getting a grip. By focusing solely on getting off a few symbolic flights to Rwanda at massive cost to the taxpayer, he has taken his eye off the vital task of stopping the criminal smuggler gangs,” she said.
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“From the recession to record NHS waiting lists to small boats, the very pledges that Rishi Sunak asked to be judged against now lie in tatters. No wonder the people of Kingswood and Wellingborough told him this week that they are sick of fourteen years of Tory failure, and want the change that only a Labour government will bring.”
She added: "There is a massive gap between Rishi Sunak’s rhetoric and reality. Despite all his promises that he would stop the boats last year, a third of all the small boat arrivals since 2018 have arrived under Rishi Sunak's watch, even though he has been Prime Minister for less than sixteen months.
"Only Labour has a serious plan on border security. We will crack down on smuggling gangs, clear the backlog, end the costly use of asylum hotels and set up a new Returns and Enforcement Unit to return people who should not be here."
A government spokesperson said: “Our plan to stop the boats is working. Crossings reduced by 36 percent last year, despite soaring by 80 percent in the Mediterranean, and we remain relentless in cracking down on vile people smuggling gangs, deterring migrants from making dangerous crossings and intercepting vessels with our French counterparts.
“We will continue to do whatever is necessary to end these perilous and fatal journeys, and are exploring the deployment of aerial surveillance equipment to intercept crossing attempts as quickly as possible and ensure unprecedented levels of coverage.”
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