Britain is the illegal migrant capital of Europe according to a shock new study conducted by Oxford University experts.
The research shows up to 745,000 asylum seekers are in the country, accounting for one per cent of the total population.
This includes foreign arrivals who have overstayed their visas, failed asylum seekers and migrants who have made the treacherous journey across the Channel in small boats.
The number is more than double the 300,000 in France and the UK is ahead of Germany which has the second largest population of illegal migrants at an estimate of 700,000, according to The Telegraph.
A shock new study shows Britain is the migrant capital of Europe. The research shows up to 745,000 asylum seekers are in the country, accounting for one per cent of the total population
A woman and two men, all believed to be around 30 years old died on Saturday while crossing the Channel in a separate incident
The figures were disclosed as the Home Office said 973 migrants in 17 dinghies ventured across the English channel on Saturday.
This is the largest number in a day this year and surpassed the previous record for 2024 – which was 882 people on June 18 – as four people died making the perilous trip.
The total number of people to cross the border into the UK in 2024 is 26,612 which is an increase of five per cent from September 2023 but less than the 33,611 who had crossed at this point in 2022.
French authorities confirmed four people sadly lost their lives while trying to cross the Channel on Saturday including a two-year-old child who was ‘trampled to death’ in a small boat.
The child’s body was found with nearly 90 migrants reportedly crammed onto it on Saturday morning.
A woman and two men, all believed to be around 30 years old, also died on Saturday while crossing the Channel in a separate incident.
It comes as it emerged that French police blunders may lead to half of the biggest international people smuggling ring sending migrants across the Channel escaping justice.
A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, from the RNLI Dover Lifeboat following a small boat incident in the Channel on Saturday
Twenty-two smugglers are being sentenced for crossings estimated to have netted them £5 million and put countless lives at risk.
But half of them failed to show up for their sentencing hearing. Several had been operating the enterprise from Britain.
Eight of them are feared to have fled the country, despite being placed on judicial supervision.
They may even be back arranging crossings and making millions from the illegal trade again.
Border Force and Home Office officials are said to be ‘gobsmacked’ by the revelation.
The details emerged during a sentencing hearing for a series of crossings from Calais to Normandy between 2020 and 2022.
Three of the gang, mostly Iraqi Kurds, got an adjournment until March 10 – spreading more fear they will flee.
One British Border Force source said: ‘This is shocking. It shows the French are not treating this seriously.
‘It’s a disgrace. These gang members will be back at it, making millions and putting lives at risk.’
The Government is facing pressure to catch and prosecute the people-smuggling gangs who are responsible for organising the illegal crossings.
Saturday has been called the busiest day of the year so far, according to Home Office figures, beating the previous record for 2024 – which was 882 people on June 18
Labour has vowed to stop the criminal enterprises by setting up a special Border Security Command to assist European and G7 partners and bolster the UK law enforcement agencies with new counter terror-style powers.
But senior Tories have demanded that Prime Minister Keir Starmer rethink his decision to scrap the £400m Conservative Rwanda Scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.
This week, the UK and other G7 nations agreed an anti-smuggling action plan designed to boost co-operation.
The Home Office said this included joint investigations and intelligence-sharing in a bid to target criminal smuggling routes.
The action plan also detailed ‘working collaboratively’ with social media companies to monitor the internet and different platforms to prevent them being used to enable migrant smuggling and people trafficking.
This included calling on social media companies ‘to do more to respond to online content that advertises migrant smuggling services’.
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Publish date : 2024-10-06 18:11:00
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