More than 1,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats so far this year.
This weekend alone, 388 people made the crossing in 7 dinghies, bringing the total since the start of January to 1,057.
Home Office figures show that the numbers are slightly down on this point last year, when 1,180 had crossed.
In 2022, 1,339 people had successfully crossed by this stage in the year.
More than 1,000 migrants have made the perilous crossing
PA
The Government has insisted that any reduction in numbers has been due to its ‘Stop the Boats’ policy.
The provisional annual total for 2023, 29,437, is 36 per cent lower than the record 45,774 crossings for the whole of 2022.
But maritime experts believe poor weather conditions – including the recent storms - have played a significant part in the drop in migrants coming across.
Central to Rishi Sunak’s ‘Stop the Boats’ policy is the Government’s scheme to remove illegal migrants to Rwanda.
POLITICS LATEST:
Rishi Sunak is committed to stopping the boatsGETTYThe latest Channel milestone comes as the Prime Minister braces for a further battle in the Lords as the legislation faces scrutiny from a number of prominent critics.
Some 71 members of the upper chamber are due to speak at the second reading debate of the draft law.
Among them is the Archbishop of Canterbury, who has voiced profound concerns about the plan to send asylum seekers who cross the Channel in small boats on a one-way flight to Kigali.
Lord Carlile of Berriew, who earlier this month warned the Government is moving towards “totalitarianism” in its handling of the policy, is also due to appear.
The Archbishop has been a vocal critic of the Government's approach to immigration, expressing concern about the Home Office's "harmful rhetoric"PAThe crossbench peer has suggested the Lords would seek to undo what he described as politicians “meddling” in the independent courts.
Sunak’s Safety of Rwanda Bill survived its third reading in the Commons after the Prime Minister saw off a Tory rebellion which had sought to toughen the legislation.
Despite dozens of small boat crossings so far this year, the Home Office insists the Government’s policy to ‘Stop the Boats’ is beginning to work.
A spokesperson told GB News: “Our priority is to stop the boats, which is why we have taken robust action to crack down on vile people smuggling gangs, deter migrants from making dangerous crossings and, alongside our French counterparts, intercept vessels.
“This relentless action reduced crossings by 36 per cent last year, which saw similar weather conditions to 2022, and more than 26,000 attempts were prevented.”
Stephen Kinnock MP, Labour’s Shadow Immigration Minister, commenting on 388 people crossing the Channel by small boat over the weekend, said: “After all the Prime Minister's boasts, almost 400 people crossed the Channel in small boats over the weekend – four times the average yearly capacity of Rwanda's asylum system.
“It could take years to remove those who arrived this weekend, even if the Prime Minister did manage to get a few symbolic flights off the ground.
“The Rwanda scheme is an unserious policy, and Rishi Sunak is a weak and unserious PM.
“Labour has a serious plan to end hotel use, strike a new deal on returns, and crack down on the smuggling gangs running Britain's border security. We stand ready to deliver it.”
