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The Interior Ministry confirmed a record 416 migrants arrived on Wednesday
Many migrants are forced into small boats and do not know where they are when they reach the shores of the United Kingdom, a group of MPs has heard.
The Select Committee on Internal Affairs was told: “Vicious criminals are taking advantage of the vulnerability of these migrants.”
On Wednesday, a record 416 migrants crossed the English Channel from France to the UK in small boats.
The Home Office said 98% of immigrants applied for asylum upon arrival in the UK.
Dan O’Mahoney, the Home Office’s Underground Channel Threat Commander, told the committee that some of the migrants “don’t even want to come to the UK.”
He said: “We hear a lot of stories about migrants being literally forced into boats, they have no idea where they are when they arrive in the UK, because facilitators are not paid until they finish the last leg of the journey.”
O’Mahoney, said travel restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic and recent good weather “have had a significant impact on the increase in crossings. [in small boats]”.
More than 7,400 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats since January 2019.
Dan O’Mahoney said Border Force officers treated the migrants “humanely.”
Abi Tierney, UK director general for visas and immigration at the Home Office, said the number of asylum seekers dropped from more than 10,000 in the first three months of the year to 5,789 in the second three months.
“France, Germany, Italy and Greece accept a much higher proportion of asylum seekers; they stay there and a small number come to us.”
He said that of the 5,000 migrants who arrived so far this year, 98% had applied for asylum.
About half of those requests have been considered so far, he said, with 71% rejected because the UK was not the responsible country – the migrants had traveled through a safe country before reaching the UK.
Canal crossings by migrants in small boats
Number of people arriving in the UK each month since August 2019
O’Mahoney told MPs that French authorities were “as committed as we are” and had prevented 3,000 people from making the crossing so far this year, including nearly 200 on Wednesday alone.
“There is a lot of work together and it is paying off,” he said.
“Nowhere do you need the level that we would like it to be and that is frustrating.”
He said: “The Border Force has been doing a fantastic job. Their professionalism and skill is remarkable and the humanity with which they treat migrants is truly impressive.”
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French authorities have detained 3,000 people crossing this year, O’Mahoney said.
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