572 people intercepted in Channel crossings

572 people intercepted in Channel crossings
Credit: Gareth Fuller/PA

London (Parliament Politics Magzine) – Nine boats carrying 572 people were intercepted in the Channel, with rising deaths and new security plans.

The Home Office reported that nine boats carrying a total of 572 people attempting to cross the English Channel have been intercepted. This brings the total number of small boat crossings this year to 32,691, a 22% increase compared to the same period last year (26,699). However, the figure is 18% lower than the total of 39,929 recorded by November 2022.

How has the government responded to the rise in crossings?

Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, recently pledged an extra Ā£75 million and a new team of detectives to address what he described as the “national security threat” posed by people smugglers. The government also announced a doubling of funding for border security, raising it to Ā£150 million for the Border Security Command, which was launched earlier this year to tackle small boat crossings and improve enforcement.

What are the concerns over fatalities in the channel?

Tragically, there have been more fatalities in the Channel this year, with four bodies discovered off the coast of Calais by the French coastguard on Tuesday and Wednesday. Excluding these latest deaths, there have been at least 60 fatalities in total among those attempting to cross, five times the number recorded last year. Kent police also reported the recovery of a manā€™s body from the Channel near Dover on Tuesday.

What is the response from refugee and asylum advocacy groups?

Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, criticized the governmentā€™s ā€œsmash the gangsā€ slogan, suggesting it would not be effective. Solomon called for a more orderly and fair asylum system to help refugees integrate, warning that tightening enforcement would only push people smugglers to use more dangerous routes. He argued that smugglers are exploiting vulnerable individuals fleeing conflict or persecution, packing them into overcrowded boats and forcing them to leave from increasingly perilous locations.

What agreements were made to tackle people smuggling?

Starmer also announced new agreements with Serbia, North Macedonia, and Kosovo to enhance intelligence sharing, expertise, and cooperation to combat people smuggling and improve border security. These agreements were made at the European Political Community meeting in Budapest, Hungary, and reflect broader efforts to address migration and people smuggling in Europe.

Daniele Naddei

Daniele Naddei is a journalist at Parliament News covering European affairs, was born in Naples on April 8, 1991. He also serves as the Director of the CentroSud24 newspaper. During the period from 2010 to 2013, Naddei completed an internship at the esteemed local radio station Radio Club 91. Subsequently, he became the author of a weekly magazine published by the Italian Volleyball Federation of Campania (FIPAV Campania), which led to his registration in the professional order of Journalists of Campania in early 2014, listed under publicists. From 2013 to 2018, he worked as a freelance photojournalist and cameraman for external services for Rai and various local entities, including TeleCapri, CapriEvent, and TLA. Additionally, between 2014 and 2017, Naddei collaborated full-time with various newspapers in Campania, both in print and online. During this period, he also resumed his role as Editor-in-Chief at Radio Club 91.
Naddei is actively involved as a press officer for several companies and is responsible for editing cultural and social events in the city through his association with the Medea Fattoria Sociale. This experience continued until 2021. Throughout these years, he hosted or collaborated on football sports programs for various local broadcasters, including TLA, TvLuna, TeleCapri, Radio Stonata, Radio Amore, and Radio Antenna Uno.
From 2016 to 2018, Naddei was employed as an editor at newspapers of national interest within the Il24.it circuit, including Internazionale24, Salute24, and OggiScuola. Since 2019, Naddei has been one of the creators of the Rabona television program "Calcio ĆØ Passione," which has been broadcast on TeleCapri Sport since 2023.