UK: More illegal boat migrants arrive during lockdown

The United Kingdom’s Border Force has reported another 14 migrants who were picked up while crossing the English Channel last week, bringing the total to more than 1,200 who have arrived this year so far, and 850 who have arrived since the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown began.

The latest batch of migrants were intercepted off the coast at Dover. They identified themselves as Afghan, Kuwaiti, Pakistani, and Syrian nationals, according to a report by The Daily Mail.

The Home Office has said that the two-week quarantine rule for all travelers entering the UK will be applied to illegal migrants as well, in an effort to prevent the virus from spreading further. Those who are suspected of being engaged in criminal activities, or who are otherwise ineligible to apply for asylum, will be kept in special isolation areas, while those with legitimate asylum cases will be quarantined in other facilities.
 
There has been a spike in illegal migration to the UK recently, with more than 200 having arrived last weekend alone — 145 of them within a 24-hour period on Friday, which is a new record. Last month saw nearly 476 illegal migrants enter the UK, which is the highest monthly number yet recorded. If present trends continue, this year will see the most migrants entering the UK in a single year ever.

The Home Office is concerned that bringing migrants rescued in British waters to the UK may be helping human traffickers. As a consequence, Secretary Priti Patel has asked the French to take responsibility for migrants crossing the Channel even if they are found in British territorial waters. if the plan is accepted, the UK would also increase its funding for patrols along the French coast.

Former UKIP leader and Brexit architect Nigel Farage has been warning of an increasing “invasion” of the UK by migrants, blasting the Border Force for acting as a “taxi service” for migrants in the English Channel, as previously reported by Voice of Europe.

 Source:
Voice Of Europe