The figure is closely monitored in the United Kingdom where successive Conservative governments have promised to “take back control of the borders” after Brexit. In 2023, 29,437 migrants reached the English coast illegally by crossing the Channel, according to the results of the British Interior Ministry published Monday January 1, a drop of 35% compared to 2022 and its 45,774 illegal entrants, this which had constituted a summit.
“As illegal entries into Europe increase, the number of people coming to the UK illegally is falling. This is a significant success”, welcomed the Minister of the Interior, James Cleverly, in a press release. The 2023 toll, however, remains the second highest ever recorded, higher than that of 2021 (28,526).
Immigration is shaping up to be a key issue in the campaign for the general elections scheduled for this year in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has also promised to“stop the boats” illegal migrants.
Number of Albanian migrants falls after agreement with Tirana
Around 20% of migrants who arrived on English shores in 2023 are from Afghanistan, according to data up to November 29. Next come the Iranians (12%), then the Turks (11%), the Eritreans (9%) and the Iraqis (9%). On the other hand, the number of Albanians, who were among the most numerous to make the crossing in 2022 (12,658), fell by more than 90%. London and Tirana have reached an agreement to prevent Albanians from leaving illegally for the United Kingdom.
The British government has several times welcomed the success of this agreement, as well as that concluded with France. In March, London and Paris reached an agreement providing for a contribution from the United Kingdom of more than 500 million euros over three years to strengthen surveillance on French beaches and fight against smuggling gangs.
In 2023, more than 24,000 illegal immigrants, including 5,500 Albanians, have been expelled according to the Ministry of the Interior. “Commitment” of the government “to clear the backlog of asylum applications was required”he says, with 112,000 files processed in 2023. Around 67% of asylum requests received a positive response.
Turning the screw on legal immigration
The British conservative government, which has adopted extremely restrictive asylum laws, still plans to deport migrants who arrived illegally in the United Kingdom to Rwanda. The project was blocked by the Supreme Court, but London reached a new agreement with Kigali. The new project “is the toughest immigration legislation ever presented to Parliament”Rishi Sunak told MPs in December.
The government also announced at the end of 2023 a tightening of the screws to reduce legal immigration. Immigration hit a record in 2022, with 745,000 more people in the UK. The government has promised to reduce immigration by 300,000 people in the coming years.
Among the announcements is the end, with exceptions, of family reunification for foreign students. This measure, which came into force on Monday, “will allow a rapid decline in immigration with tens of thousands fewer people”says the Minister of the Interior.