Migrants being 'whipped' onto dinghies amid record 20,000 Channel crossings
The 20,000 figure was exceeded in record time, with some 440 people making the crossing across the English Channel yesterday alone.
Figures from the Home Office found this is up 50% on this point last year and 79% higher than at this stage in 2023.
It is the earliest point in a calendar year at which the 20,000 mark has been passed since data on Channel crossings was first reported in 2018.
The first year in which at least 20,000 arrivals were recorded was 2022, when the milestone was passed on August 14, and the total went on to hit a record 45,774 by the end of December.
The figures come as ministers continue to grapple with Channel crossings, with the situation on French shores worsening.
What appeared to be a measure of harsh crowd control, to prevent the 30-foot rubber boat from capsizing, a people smuggler's assistant in the water repeatedly whipped migrants with a cane if they tried to climb on too fast.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
He was seen furiously beating the terrified migrants who were scrambling to avoid the lashings, but could not afford to be left behind.
The Government's Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill is continuing through Parliament, and will hand counterterror-style powers to police and introduce new criminal offences to crack down on people-smuggling gangs.
It has been reported that the UK and France are agreeing on a one in, one out migrant returns deal, under which migrants who arrive in the UK by small boats are returned to France, in exchange for the UK accepting those with legitimate claims to join family already in the country.
French officials have also agreed to changes that would allow police patrolling the coast to take action in the sea when migrants climb into boats from the water, which is yet to come into effect.
Days ago, it was revealed that migrants could soon be deported to France from the UK in a 'one in one out' deal. More Trending
The deal could see migrants who arrive in the UK by crossing the English Channel in small boats returned to France, but the UK would accept those with legitimate claims to join family already in the country.
The government previously vowed to crack down on people smuggling gangs across the Channel, while crossings are at a record high for this point in the year, totalling 18,518.
French officials have also agreed to changes that would allow police patrolling the coast to take action in the sea when migrants climb into boats from the water.
Under the new returns deal, a joint processing system between the UK and France would be set up to identify migrants who have a valid claim for family reunification in the UK.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Rail ticket gives unlimited travel in 24 countries from £34 — but you need to be quick
MORE: Lorries face reversing for miles after landslides block their path
MORE: Europe hit by deadly heatwave with temperatures over 40C in holiday hotspots
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Trump sent chilling warning by Putin over Russia's invasion of Ukraine
The world leaders spoke on the phone for the sixth time since Trump's return to presidency as the topics of Ukraine and Iran were high up on the agenda US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone today in their sixth publicly disclosed chat since the former returned to the White House, the Kremlin announced. They spoke about the ongoing conflict in Iran and Israel as Putin emphasised the need to resolve all issues by political and diplomatic means, according to his foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov. The US hit three sites in Iran on June 22, in what Trump called a "very successful" operation aimed at destroying Tehran's nuclear program. On the conflict in Ukraine, Ushakov said Trump spoke about his need for a quick halt to the fighting, while Putin voiced Moscow's readiness to pursue talks with Kyiv. At the same time, the Russian leader issued a chilling warning to Trump. He said that Moscow will seek to achieve its goals in Ukraine and remove the "root causes" of the conflict. Putin has argued he sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to fend off a threat to Russia posed by Ukraine's push to join NATO and protect Russian speakers in Ukraine - arguments rejected by Kyiv and its allies. He insisted that any prospective peace deal must see Ukraine abandon its NATO bid and recognize Russia's territorial gains. Thursday's call follows the Pentagon's confirmation that it's pausing shipment of some weapons to Ukraine as it reviews US military stockpiles. The weapons being held up for Ukraine include air defense missiles, precision-guided artillery and other equipment. The details on the weapons in some of the paused deliveries were confirmed by a US official and former national security official familiar with the matter. They both requested anonymity to discuss what is being held up as the Pentagon has yet to provide details. Ushakov said a suspension of some US weapons shipments to Ukraine wasn't discussed in the Trump-Putin call. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in Denmark after meeting with major European Union backers that he may talk to Trump in the coming days about the suspension of US weapons deliveries. "I hope that maybe tomorrow, or close days, these days, I will speak about it with President Trump," he said. Asked about his expectations from the Trump-Putin call, he said that "I'm not sure that they have a lot of common ideas, common topics to talk (about), because they are very different people." The previous publicly known call between Trump and Putin came June 14, a day after Israel attacked Iran. The resumed contacts between Trump and Putin appeared to reflect both leaders' interest in mending US-Russian ties that have plummeted to their lowest point since the Cold War amid the conflict in Ukraine. On Tuesday, Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron held their first direct telephone call in almost three years.
Rhyl Journal
32 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Putin and Trump discussed Iran and Ukraine in phone call, Kremlin official says
The call on Thursday was their sixth publicly disclosed chat since Mr Trump returned to the White House. While discussing the situation around Iran, Mr Putin emphasised the need to resolve all issues by political and diplomatic means, said Yuri Ushakov, his foreign affairs adviser. The United States struck three sites in Iran on June 22, inserting itself into Israel's war aimed at destroying Tehran's nuclear programme. On the conflict in Ukraine, Mr Ushakov said Mr Trump emphasised his push for a quick halt to the fighting, and Mr Putin voiced Moscow's readiness to pursue talks with Kyiv. At the same time, the Russian leader emphasised that Moscow will seek to achieve its goals in Ukraine and remove the 'root causes' of the conflict, Mr Ushakov said. Mr Putin has argued he sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to fend off a threat to Russia posed by Ukraine's push to join Nato and protect Russian speakers in Ukraine – arguments rejected by Kyiv and its allies. He insisted that any prospective peace deal must see Ukraine abandon its Nato bid and recognise Russia's territorial gains. Thursday's call follows the Pentagon's confirmation that it is pausing shipments of some weapons to Ukraine as it reviews US military stockpiles. The weapons being held up for Ukraine include air defence missiles, precision-guided artillery and other equipment. The details on the weapons in some of the paused deliveries were confirmed by a US official and former national security official familiar with the matter. Mr Ushakov said a suspension of some US weapons shipments to Ukraine was not discussed in the Trump-Putin call. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Denmark after meeting with major European Union backers that he may talk to Mr Trump in the coming days about the suspension of US weapons deliveries. 'I hope that maybe tomorrow, or close days, these days, I will speak about it with President Trump,' he said. Asked about his expectations from the Trump-Putin call, he said that 'I'm not sure that they have a lot of common ideas, common topics to talk (about), because they are very different people'. The previous publicly known call between Mr Trump and Mr Putin came on June 14, a day after Israel attacked Iran. The resumed contacts between Mr Trump and Mr Putin appeared to reflect both leaders' interest in mending US-Russian ties that have plummeted to their lowest point since the Cold War amid the conflict in Ukraine. On Tuesday, Mr Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron held their first direct telephone call in almost three years.
North Wales Chronicle
33 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Ban on Palestine Action clears Parliament but faces legal challenge
The House of Lords backed proscribing the group under the Terrorism Act 2000 without a vote. A short time before, a so-called regret motion proposed by a Green Party peer criticising the measure was rejected by 144 votes to 16, majority 128. The ministerial order, which has already been approved by MPs, will make it a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison to be a member of the direct action group or to support it. However, it is unclear when the ban, which needs final sign-off by the Home Secretary, will come into force as the group is mounting a court challenge to try to temporarily block the move with a hearing scheduled on Friday, pending further proceedings. The Government crackdown comes after two planes were vandalised at RAF Brize Norton on June 20 causing £7 million worth of damage, in an action claimed by Palestine Action. Four people have been charged by counter-terrorism police in connection with the incident and were remanded in custody following a court appearance. Home Office minister Lord Hanson of Flint said: 'I will always defend the right of British people to engage in legitimate and peaceful protest and to stand up for the causes in which they believe. 'But essential as these rights are, they do not provide a blank cheque for this particular group to seriously damage property or subject members of the public to fear and violence.' He added: 'We would not tolerate this activity from organisations if they were motivated by Islamist or extreme right-wing ideology, and therefore I cannot tolerate it from Palestine Action. 'By implementing this measure, we will remove Palestine Action's veil of legitimacy, tackle its financial support, degrade its efforts to recruit and radicalise people into committing terrorist activity in its name.' But ministers have faced criticism over the decision to outlaw Palestine Action, with opponents branding the move as 'draconian overreach' and comparing the group to the Suffragettes. The United Nations has also warned against the ban, with experts concerned at the 'unjustified labelling of a political protest movement as 'terrorist''. In the Lords, Green Party peer Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb opposed the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. Her regret motion argued the ban undermined civil liberties, constituted a misuse of anti-terror legislation, suppressed dissent against the UK's policy on Israel, and criminalised support for a protest group, causing 'a chilling effect on freedom of expression'. The legislation approved by the Lords also bans two white supremacist groups, Maniacs Murder Cult and Russian Imperial Movement, including its paramilitary arm Russian Imperial Legion. The Home Office describes the Maniacs Murder Cult as a neo-Nazi transnational and online organisation which has claimed a number of violent attacks around the world. The Russian Imperial Movement is an ethno-nationalist group which aims to create a new Russian imperial state. Its paramilitary unit fought alongside Russian forces in the invasion of Ukraine to advance its ideological cause. It also runs a paramilitary training programme to support attendees to carry out terror attacks, the Home Office added.
