UK PAGE 2 BRIEFING: People crossing the English Channel in small boats Understanding the policy Since 2018, there has been a sharp rise in the number of people arriving in the UK without authorisation after crossing the English Channel in small boats. [...] Moreover, changes in the number of irregular entrants detected could be a result of changes in operational activity or recording practices, and not only changes in the number of people attempting to enter the UK irregularly. [...] In 2023, the number of Albanians crossing in small boats dramatically declined, with 924 making the crossing (and just 15 in the first quarter of 2024). [...] Research on the motivations of asylum seekers and the factors influencing the decisions about where to apply for asylum has found that: • Policy is not the most important factor influencing changes in the number of people claiming asylum. [...] Of the roughly 1.2 million people who claimed asylum in the UK and EU-27 in 2023, 7% claimed asylum in the UK.
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- 16
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- United Kingdom
Table of Contents
- AUTHORS Peter William Walsh 1
- Mihnea V. Cuibus 1
- PUBLISHED 01072024 1
- BRIEFING 2
- People crossing the English Channel in small boats 2
- Key Points 2
- Around 29000 people were detected crossing the English Channel in small boats in 2023 down from 46000 in 2022. 2
- In early 2024 the provisional number of detected crossings was around 12600 a rise of 16 compared to the same period in 2023. 2
- Nationals of five countries Iran Albania Iraq Afghanistan and Syria made up two thirds of those crossing in small boats since 2018. 2
- The number of Albanian small boat arrivals who made up the largest group crossing the Channel in 2022 fell by 93 in 2023. 2
- 93 of people arriving in small boats from 2018 to March 2024 claimed asylum of those who had received a decision by 31 March 2024 around three quarters were successful. 2
- Research on the motivations of asylum seekers finds several reasons that some people prefer to claim asylum in the UK and knowledge of UK asylum policy is not one of them. 2
- Greece Italy and Spain have all experienced large numbers of unauthorised arrivals by sea since 2014 with numbers fluctuating over time. 2
- Border enforcement measures may have reduced the number of unauthorised maritime arrivals in some European countries but their effects are unclear. 2
- A range of policies have been proposed to tackle small boat arrivals in the UK. 2
- This briefing examines the phenomenon of people crossing the English Channel in small boats. It reviews what we know about the numbers characteristics and motivations of people making this journey. 2
- BRIEFING 3
- People crossing the English Channel in small boats 3
- Understanding the policy 3
- Understanding the evidence 3
- BRIEFING 4
- People crossing the English Channel in small boats 4
- Around 29000 people were detected crossing the English Channel in small boats in 2023 down from 46000 in 2022 4
- BRIEFING 5
- People crossing the English Channel in small boats 5
- BRIEFING 6
- People crossing the English Channel in small boats 6
- BRIEFING 7
- People crossing the English Channel in small boats 7
- Since 2018 the nationals of five countries Iran Albania Iraq Afghanistan and Syria have made up two thirds of those crossing in small boats 7
- BRIEFING 8
- People crossing the English Channel in small boats 8
- BRIEFING 9
- People crossing the English Channel in small boats 9
- 93 of small boat arrivals from 2018 to March 2024 claimed asylum of those who had received an initial decision by 31 March 2024 around three quarters were successful 9
- BRIEFING 10
- People crossing the English Channel in small boats 10
- BRIEFING 11
- People crossing the English Channel in small boats 11
- Research on the motivations of asylum seekers finds several reasons some prefer to claim asylum in the UK and knowledge of UK asylum policy is not one of them 11
- BRIEFING 12
- People crossing the English Channel in small boats 12
- Greece Italy and Spain have all experienced large numbers of unauthorised arrivals by sea since 2014 with numbers fluctuating over time 12
- BRIEFING 13
- People crossing the English Channel in small boats 13
- Border enforcement measures may have reduced the number of unauthorised maritime arrivals in some European countries but their effects are unclear 13
- BRIEFING 14
- People crossing the English Channel in small boats 14
- A range of policies have been proposed to tackle small boat arrivals in the UK 14
- BRIEFING 15
- People crossing the English Channel in small boats 15
- Acknowledgements 15
- BRIEFING 16
- People crossing the English Channel in small boats 16
- The Migration Observatory 16
- About the authors 16
- COMPAS 16
- Press contact 16
- Recommended citation 16
