Small-Boat Migrant Arrivals Exceed British Army Size Under Labour Government
More than 83,000 migrants have arrived in the UK via small boats since the general election, surpassing the total number of active British Army soldiers.
The number of migrants arriving in Britain via small boats has now exceeded the strength of the regular British Army, according to analysis of recent figures. Since the general election, 83,279 individuals have arrived in the UK on small boats, a figure that surpasses the British Army's complement of approximately 83,000 soldiers.
Wednesday marked the highest daily tally this year, with 781 migrants reaching British shores. This brought the total for the first three days of the week to 1,085.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp stated, "Labour has lost control of our borders and seems utterly incapable of getting it back." He added, "More people have arrived in small boats than we have soldiers defending Britain. That is completely bonkers."
Cabinet minister Lucy Powell acknowledged that the government "can't stop everything all of the time" amid scrutiny over recent crossings. She confirmed that the Home Secretary has initiated an urgent review into how two dinghies arrived on Tuesday without being intercepted.
One of these dinghies, carrying up to 30 migrants, landed on a Kent beach. Officials confirmed that 21 individuals were detained and taken to a Home Office facility for processing of their asylum claims.
The Border Force union, the ISU, has warned that migrant boats are being detected along the entire length of the UK's south coast. Lucy Moreton of the ISU noted that "If no one sees them, no one sees them," but added that there have been reports of "abandoned vessels" and "uncontrolled landings" extending as far as Falmouth.
Former Border Force director general Tony Smith suggested that the entire south coast should be monitored using available technology such as radar and drones. He posited that migrants might attempt to land on beaches to evade capture and biometric checks that could reveal a criminal record or previous illegal entry.
A government spokesperson commented on the situation, stating, "Our progress this year in tackling small boats is indisputable – with crossings down by 42 per cent and the lowest recorded over the summer months since 2020. But this week's events show that while the peaks we are seeing are far below those of previous years, we need to push further and harder in order to eradicate this vile trade."
