According to figures from the Ministry of the Interior, nearly 30,000 immigrants crossed the English Channel illegally in 2023. A figure much lower than that of 2022, which had been a record year.

In 2023, 29,437 migrants crossed the English Channel to reach England, compared to 45,774 in 2022, according to Home Office figures published on Monday the 1st.^Ahem January 2024. However, the 2023 death toll remains the second highest ever recorded, higher than that of 2021 (28,526).

These figures are closely watched in the UK, where successive Conservative governments have promised to “take back control of the borders” after Brexit. Immigration is emerging as a key issue in the campaign for the legislative elections scheduled for this year. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also promised to “stop the boats” of illegal immigrants.

Around 20% of migrants arriving on English shores in 2023 come from Afghanistan, according to data up to November 29. Next come the Iranians (12%), then the Turks (11%), the Eritreans (9%) and the Iraqis (9%).

On the other hand, the number of Albanians, who were among the largest to cross in 2022 (12,658), fell by more than 90%.

London and Tirana have reached an agreement to prevent Albanians from leaving illegally for the United Kingdom. The British Government has on several occasions welcomed the success of this agreement, as well as the one signed with France.

In March, London and Paris reached an agreement that provides for a contribution from the United Kingdom of more than 500 million euros over three years to strengthen surveillance on French beaches and fight against smuggling gangs.

The British Conservative government, which has adopted extremely restrictive asylum laws, still plans to deport migrants who arrived illegally in the United Kingdom to Rwanda.

The project was blocked by the Supreme Court, but London reached a new agreement with Kigali. The new bill “is the toughest legislation ever brought to Parliament on immigration,” Rishi Sunak told MPs in December.

The government also announced at the end of 2023 an adjustment of measures to reduce legal immigration.
Immigration hit a record high in 2022, with 745,000 more people arriving in the UK. The government has promised to reduce immigration by 300,000 people in the coming years.

Among the announcements is the end, with some exceptions, of family reunification for foreign students. This measure, which came into effect on Monday, “will allow for a rapid reduction in immigration with tens of thousands fewer people,” said Interior Minister James Cleverly in a statement.