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Small boat returns almost non-existent, Home Office admits
The recent focus on the Channel crisis has revealed a striking statistic: only one percent of small boat arrivals since 2020 have been sent back to their home country.
We knew that the number of enforced returns had dropped to a paltry level (see the chart below), but this recent revelation vividly highlights the Home Office’s struggle to deport illegal immigrants.
The information came to light through written evidence submitted to the Home Affairs committee. In this evidence, the Home Office acknowledged that out of 111,833 illegal migrants who entered the UK by small boat, only 1,182 were removed or sent to their home country. More concerning is that, despite the government’s year-old agreement with Albania to boost returns, only five per cent of Albanian arrivals since 2020 have been sent back.
This whole debacle is intricately tied to the colossal backlog of asylum cases that the government seems utterly incapable of sorting out. The hope of resolving 92,000 legacy cases by the end of the year is now nothing more than a dream.
Instead of efficiently dealing with cases more likely to face rejection (such as Albanian nationals), the government’s absurd response was to fast-track those cases with a higher chance of getting asylum. To make matters worse, our human rights laws and international agreements are woefully outdated, making it exceedingly challenging to deport illegal immigrants.
It’s a topsy-turvy system that has left the least deserving asylum seekers lounging indefinitely in taxpayer-funded hotels, all while the government fumbles its way through. For the gritty details, check out the Times report here.
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Over in Westminster, the government presented its emergency Rwanda legislation for a second reading. While a notable group of Conservative MPs had hinted at voting against the bill, they eventually chose to abstain, opting to advocate for amendments at a later stage of the Bill’s passage. Specifically, they aim to eliminate the possibility for asylum seekers to appeal against being relocated to Rwanda.
This situation puts the Prime Minister on the horns of a dilemma. Any modifications to the legislation risk losing the backing of Conservatives from the liberal ‘One Nation’ group, led by former immigration minister Damien Green, who adamantly opposes additional amendments. Both factions, however, are wary of witnessing a decline in the Prime Minister’s authority, especially as we near the next general election.
All we would add to this sorry tale, which has generated more heat than light, is to take note of what Robert Jenrick had to say when he stepped down from the frontbench last Wednesday. Maintaining that the Rwanda bill is too weak, Jenrick warned it would just keep feeding a never-ending cycle of legal challenges from migrants. And we agree with him, for so long as the Bill allows for individuals to appeal against their removal, cases will get mired in the courts.
Will any flights take off for Rwanda before the election with meaningful numbers on them? We very much doubt it.
Meanwhile, legal migration continues unabated and in substantial numbers. Net migration was a record-breaking 745,00 in 2022, followed by a staggering 672,000 in 2023. Legal migration far surpasses the numbers of illegal Channel crossers, yet the government opts not to reduce those numbers, despite possessing the tools to do so. Perhaps that is why the government seeks to divert our attention to the Channel?
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The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) released its annual report on Wednesday. You can read the Daily Mail’s summary here. For the key points are:
- Introducing a cap on numbers is the only practical way to control legal migration.
- Housing and rental costs have gone up, partly due to the impact of immigration.
- The scarcity of British-born care workers is connected to inadequate wages and working conditions.
- Bringing in low-skilled migrants to fill these positions poses various long-term challenges for both the Treasury and the quality of care.
- Growth in international postgraduate students has been strongest in the less prestigious universities.
- Partners and children of students, who are considered ‘dependants’, enjoy taxpayer-funded services like healthcare and education.
Migration Watch UK has been making these arguments for years. That the MAC recognises and accepts these facts is to be welcomed. The full 59-page report can be found here.
Finally, this week we have updated our Channel Migrant Map with all the latest data, you can access that here.
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Matt Goodwin, ConservativeHome - My polling suggests that immigration could be a powerful springboard for a Farage comeback
‘When told that if net migration remains at its current rate Britain’s population will likely increase from 67 million people today to around 85 million people by the year 2046, two-thirds of British people, including 90 per cent of 2019 Conservatives, say they feel “concerned” about the direction of travel. When asked whether immigration is making Britain a nicer place to live, a worse place to live, or makes no real difference, a plurality of people, 42 per cent, including more than two-thirds of 2019 Conservative voters, said it is making Britain a “worse place to live”, while just one in ten of all voters think immigration is making Britain a better place to live.’
Other articles well worth a read include:
Ed West, The Spectator - The Tories aren’t being honest about foreign marriages
Robert Jenrick, The Telegraph - Politicians must listen to the people on immigration – or face their red-hot fury
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MIGRATION WATCH IN THE MEDIA
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This week, we have been referenced twice by the Daily Mail. In this first article, the tabloid reveals that smuggling gangs are offering a festive discount for Channel crossings.
'Alp Mehmet, the head of Migration Watch, said: 'The criminal gangs are only too ready to exploit the shameful chaos on immigration inside Government to get their foot soldiers here as well as bogus asylum seekers.''
Read the full article here.
In another Mail article, our Executive Director Mike Jones was also quoted:
'Last night, think-tank Migration Watch UK said that the Rwandans have already built up 'a lot of leverage' over Britain when it comes to the deal.
Executive director Dr Mike Jones added that one problem was that the UK might not even know the full truth about an asylum seeker they ask Rwanda to accept. The majority destroy their identity papers before arrival making their true past, criminal, terror-related or otherwise, impossible to ascertain by the Home Office.
Dr Jones said that the Rwanda veto meant Britain might be left to cope with a problem group of migrants which the African country refused to take.' Here is the full article.
Mike was also invited onto GB News' Good Afternoon Britain show to discuss the Rwanda Bill. Watch the interview below.
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Alp was also quoted by the Daily Express, in an article about the Rwanda Plan:
' Alp Mehmet of Migration Watch was not optimistic and predicted the Bill will be “mauled” when it goes to the House of Lords.
He said: “The Bill, as it stands, allows for individuals to appeal against removal both to our courts and the ECHR.
“Activist immigration lawyers will be champing at the bit to get appealing."'
Read on here.
Mike also spoke to Richard Tice on GB News, about the loopholes in the student immigration system enabling mass migration. Watch the interview below.
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Our ever dependable Channel Tracker has also proven useful this week, having been used by the German newspaper Deutsche Well, InfoMigrants, Free Malaysia Today and the Daily Telegraph.
We were also quoted by The European Conservative in reaction to the low levels of returned small boat migrants.
'Migration Watch UK Chairman Alp Mehmet told The European Conservative:" I doubt [this] will have much impact even if flights start before the general election, and there’s no guarantee that they will."'
You can read the article here.
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The shockingly low numbers of returns are nothing less than a travesty. If you’re as appalled as we are, take a stand by reaching out to your Member of Parliament and demand they speak up about the government’s abysmal track record. Click here to find out how you can make your voice heard.
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