The increase in arrivals to the UK by small boats is alarming given the risks to the travellers. It does not constitute a ‘migration crisis’ That adults and children are risking their lives to cross the Channel’s shipping lanes in small and flimsy vessels is frightening. That they seek a new home in Britain is not. The overreaction to the uptick in arrivals via this route has been extraordinary. The home secretary, Sajid Javid, cut short a holiday, declared a “major incident”, redirected two Border Force cutters from the Mediterranean and requested the Royal Navy’s help. Meanwhile, the rightwing press talk of a “migration crisis”, evoking the surge in migration to Europe in 2015. That year, 10,000 migrants landed in Greece in a single day. By contrast, 539 people, almost all thought to be seeking asylum, attempted to cross the Channel in small boats in the whole of 2018. (More than 40% were intercepted by French authorities.) The vast majority did so in the last three months of the year. The increase is notable. But it should not be overstated and, as the home secretary has observed, its roots are complex. Continue reading...
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