An informal headcount indicated that 10,150 known arrivals had crossed the English Channel by lunchtime of Monday, April 28th. While the official figure will take a day or two to appear, total crossings last year did not reach the same number until May.
Despite this and a promise to ‘smash the gangs’, Labour denies that border control under its government has broken down. The frequent arrival of small boats in the county of Kent is simply the result of good weather and calm seas (permitting 71 people on five ribbed dinghies to arrive this morning).
Fearing for its electoral prospects this week, the government proposes to bring in tighter rules on legal migration, specifically aimed at overseas students who extend their visas by switching to low-paid and semi-skilled jobs in the care sector upon graduation. One Labour MP called this ‘business as usual,’ and denied it was an effort to head off Reform UK at the ballot box.
Indecisive-sounding plans to run a ‘one in, one out’ scheme with France have also sparked indifference and derision. In contrast, last week Reform’s Farage announced a comprehensive plan to restructure Britain’s failing immigration system.
