(London) Nearly 30,000 migrants crossed the Channel and reached English shores illegally in 2023, a record year compared to 2022.
These figures are closely followed in the United Kingdom, where successive Conservative governments have pledged to “take back control of the borders” after Brexit.
Immigration is shaping up to be a major issue in the campaign for this year's assembly elections.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also promised to stop illegal migrant boats.
In 2023, 29,437 migrants crossed, up from 45,774 in 2022, according to Interior Ministry figures released on Monday. However, the 2023 figure is the second highest on record, surpassing 2021 (28,526).
“As illegal entry into Europe is on the rise, the number of people coming to the UK illegally is falling. This is a remarkable achievement,” Home Minister James said in a brilliant statement.
According to data up to 29 November, 20% of immigrants to English shores in 2023 will be from Afghanistan. Next come Iranians (12%), followed by Turks (11%), Eritreans (9%) and Iraqis (9%).
On the other hand, the number of Albanians expected to cross in 2022 (12,658) has decreased by more than 90%.
London and Tirana have reached an agreement to prevent Albanians from illegally entering the UK.
The British government has repeatedly hailed the success of this treaty, as well as its conclusion with France.
24,000 evacuations
In March, London and Paris reached a deal that would see the United Kingdom contribute more than 500 million euros over three years to strengthen surveillance on French beaches and fight smuggling gangs.
In 2023, more than 24,000 illegal immigrants, including 5,500 Albanians, were expelled, according to a press release from the Ministry of Interior published on Monday.
With 112,000 files processed by 2023, the ministry says the government's “commitment to reduce the backlog of asylum applications” has been met. About 67% of asylum applications received a positive response.
The British Conservative government, which has adopted more restrictive asylum laws, plans to deport migrants who came to the UK illegally to Rwanda.
The plan was blocked by the Supreme Court, but London reached a new deal with Kigali. Rishi Sunak told MPs in December that the new bill was “the toughest piece of legislation that has ever been introduced in Parliament on immigration”.
The government also announced it would tighten the screws to reduce legal immigration by the end of 2023.
Immigration reaches a record in 2022, with 745,000 more people in the UK. The government has pledged to reduce immigration by 300,000 people in the coming years.
The announcement also includes a decision on family reunification for foreign students, with some exceptions.
The move, which came into effect on Monday, will “allow for a rapid reduction in immigration with tens of thousands of fewer people,” according to the interior minister.
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