The previous daily record number of migrants was 1,185 on November 11, 2021, according to the PA. A total of 28,526 people entered the UK on small boats in 2021, with almost two-thirds coming from Iran, Iraq, Eritrea and Syria, according to the UK Home Office. The English Channel, a narrow waterway between Britain and France, is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. Refugees and migrants fleeing conflict, persecution and poverty in the world’s poorest or war-torn countries risk the perilous crossing, often in unseaworthy boats and at the mercy of people smugglers, hoping to claim asylum or economic opportunities in Britain. Last November, 27 people drowned in bitterly cold waters off the coast of France after an inflatable boat carrying migrants bound for Britain capsized in one of the deadliest incidents in the English Channel in years. The issue of migrant crossings has heightened tensions between British and French leaders, with both sides accusing the other of not doing enough. It has also become a political issue for the UK government, which has implemented tougher immigration rules since Britain left the European Union. Earlier this year, UK Home Secretary Priti Patel brokered a highly controversial £120 million ($147 million) deal with Rwanda to send asylum seekers to the East African country. But the deal was stymied by a series of legal challenges, including a last-minute intervention by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Patel described Rwanda as a “safe haven for refugees” as the UK pledged to press ahead with the controversial plan.
