Why everybody’s talking about Home Office failings on immigration
House of Commons inquiry launched after record number of migrants attempted to reach UK shores
A record-breaking number of migrants attempted to reach British shores on Wednesday, according to newly-published Home Office data.
At least 409 people crossed the Channel in small boats, with hundreds intercepted on route by British and French coastguards and others making it to shore.
The tally is almost double the last record, set on 6 August, when 235 people made the crossing, and has prompted the Home Affairs Select Committee to call on senior Home Office officials to explain their failure to tackle the issue in a hearing today.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
So what exactly is happening in the Channel and is the Home Office doing enough?
What is the current situation in the Channel?
Thousands of people have attempted to reach the UK during the present migrant crisis, with a single-month record for crossing attempts set in August, when 1,468 attempted the dangerous journey.
The regular tumbling of records has brought into sharp focus claims made by Home Secretary Priti Patel last year that such crossings would become an “infrequent phenomenon” by spring 2020.
The Ministry of Defence has made efforts to curb the influx and last week offered the services of an Army drone previously used in Afghanistan to fly over the Channel to monitor migrant boats, The Telegraph says.
Boris Johnson yesterday told MPs that he has “a great deal of sympathy” for parents so desperate that they are putting their children in dinghies and even paddling pools to cross the Channel, but said these families risk falling prey to criminal gangs, vowing to change the law to help tackle the crisis.
Immigration minister Chris Philp told MPs that the Home Office is “working closely with our French colleagues to prevent these crossings”. Measures include “patrols of the beaches by French officers, some of whom we fund, surveillance and intelligence sharing”, he said.
Why is the Home Office under fire?
The Home Office has long faced criticism for its policy relating to migrants and immigration, which has intensified with the current crisis.
In August, Patel vowed make the dangerous route across the Channel “unviable” for migrants, but analysis by the Institute for Public Policy Research think tank found “systemic flaws” in Home Office policy.
These shortcomings are “forcing illegal immigrants to the margins of society, without access to legitimate housing and jobs while they were still not leaving”, The Times says.
Under the so-called “hostile environment” strategy, introduced by Theresa May when she was home secretary, the Home Office has “put the onus on landlords, employers and even hospital staff to check the immigration status of those with whom they have contact”, the paper adds.
Furthermore, the think tank’s analysis showed that the number of migrants leaving the UK voluntarily has fallen since 2014, when most of the policies were introduced.
The Home Affairs Select Committee will today hear from leaders in immigration policy as part of an ongoing inquiry into the crisis, with the committee seeking answers from the government on the precise number of asylum claims and repatriations, as well as its approach to combating organised crime.
The Independent reports that Robert Jones, the National Crime Agency director of threat leadership, and Dan O’Mahoney, the new clandestine Channel threat commander, will appear at the hearing.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
What can Elon Musk's cost-cutting task force actually cut?
Talking Points A $2 trillion goal. And big obstacles in the way.
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Her Lotus Year: Paul French's new biography sets lurid rumours straight
The Week Recommends Wallis Simpson's year in China is less scandalous, but 'more interesting' than previously thought
By The Week UK Published
-
Today's political cartoons - November 21, 2024
Cartoons Thursday's cartoons - wild cards, wild turkeys, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Ascension island: UK could send small boats arrivals to remote Atlantic territory
Speed Read UK government weighs up alternatives if Rwanda scheme is ruled unlawful by Supreme Court
By Sorcha Bradley Published
-
The Darién Gap migrant crossing
feature Record numbers hike deadly jungle pass from South America into Panama
By Harriet Marsden Published
-
‘It’s Nigel Farage setting the agenda’
Instant Opinion Your digest of analysis from the British and international press
By The best columns Published
-
‘The Navy shouldn’t be tasked with refloating Boris Johnson’s sinking ship’
Instant Opinion Your digest of analysis from the British and international press
By The best columns Published
-
‘Pray to stay’: Church of England facing questions over asylum seeker conversions
Why Everyone’s Talking About Tory MP vows to launch investigation into apparent ‘loophole’ in system
By The Week Staff Published
-
‘Why are people so desperate to reach the UK that they will step into dinghies?’
Instant Opinion Your digest of analysis and commentary from the British and international press
By The best columns Published
-
How is Priti Patel toughening up the UK’s asylum system?
Today's Big Question Migrants arriving through illegal routes to be denied right to settle under plans aimed at curbing people-smuggling
By Sorcha Bradley Last updated
-
US fires tear gas as migrants rush border
Speed Read Border between US and Mexico closed for hours after hundreds try to cross
By The Week Staff Published