First migrants of 2023 cross Channel in small boat

Some 44 migrants person been brought to enactment successful the UK, successful the archetypal tiny vessel crossing of the caller year.

The migrants were picked up by the UK's Border Force and taken to Dover.

French authorities accidental different 2 boats carrying 80 migrants got into trouble successful the Channel connected Monday and were returned to Calais, successful France.

A full of 45,670 migrants succeeded successful making the travel successful 2022, according to authorities figures collated by the BBC.

This is the highest fig since records began successful 2018, and marks astir a 60% summation connected the erstwhile year's figure.

Last December, the authorities announced a bid of measures to tackle the issue.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak acceptable retired plans to trim the numbers of radical crossing, including the instauration of a caller Small Boats Command Centre - bringing unneurotic the subject and National Crime Agency (NCA); accrued backing for the NCA to code migration crime, and much raids connected radical suspected of moving illegally.

And due to the fact that successful the 12 months to September 2022 much than 15,000 asylum seekers were Albanian, the authorities has besides announced a caller statement with Albania to spot much UK Border Force unit successful its superior Tirana, and to accelerated way the instrumentality of failed asylum seekers to the country.

The last figures for fig of asylum applications to the UK successful 2022 are not yet available, but successful the archetypal 9 months of the year, the UK received much than 52,500 applications, the highest fig for astir 2 decades.

The bulk of the radical applying for asylum implicit the past 12 months arrived via the English Channel from France.

However, asylum claims made connected oregon aft 28 June 2022 tin beryllium rejected if the applicant has a transportation to a harmless 3rd state - which includes passing done France connected the mode to the UK.

Asylum seekers person an archetypal interrogation and - if their lawsuit is accepted - they tin use to stay successful the UK.

Figures amusement that successful 2021 the UK authorities granted much first-time applications than France oregon Germany.

However, asylum seekers successful the UK besides person overmuch longer waits than their counterparts elsewhere successful Europe - 15.5 months compared to France's 8.5 months and Germany's 6.5 months.

And lone 4% of radical who arrived successful the UK successful tiny boats successful 2021 person had a determination made astir their case.

Those who are inactive waiting are mostly not allowed to work, and galore are housed successful hotels owed to deficiency of different suitable accommodation, astatine an estimated outgo of £5.5m a day.