The small boat crisis has achieved a critical milestone, with 100,000 migrants crossing the Channel since the crisis began in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another 250 migrants across in small boats early this morning, bringing the total to a historic high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The arrivals are the first since Saturday, when terrible weather rendered the Channel unusable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since small migrant dinghies were first sighted in the Channel five years ago, 99,961 people have crossed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only 299 migrants made the passage in the first year, 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following year, 1,843 persons attempted the unlawful crossing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By 2020, the numbers crossing had begun to accelerate rapidly, reaching 8,466.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following year saw an almost four-fold increase, as the Home Office confirmed 28,526 people had crossed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then last year, a record 45,755 people made the journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 100,000 mark will pile more pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has made stopping the small boats one of his government\u2019s key priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But despite the Prime Minister\u2019s pledge, today\u2019s arrivals take to total so far this year to more than 15,300.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The small boat crisis has achieved a critical milestone, with 100,000 migrants crossing the Channel since the crisis began in 2018. Another 250 migrants across in small boats early this … <\/p>\n