The number of people who crossed the English Channel in small boats last year was treble the number for 2020.
Figures show at least 28,431 migrants made the journey in 2021, despite huge UK investment in France to prevent crossings.
A Home Office minister said the government was “reforming” its approach and introducing tougher asylum rules.
Refugee charities say the “dangerous and callous policy” will lead to more arrivals and drownings.
Clare Moseley, founder of charity Care4Calais, which supports refugees living in northern France, said rising numbers of small boat arrivals reflect a shift away from attempts to cross by lorry.
Tens of thousands of people who we cannot identify have been admitted, then released into our communities.
THIS IS MADNESS 😡
— Migration Watch (@MigrationWatch) January 4, 2022
She said: “They are some of the most vulnerable people in the world, having lost family members in bloody conflicts, suffered horrific torture and inhumane persecution.
“The Government tells us that people should travel by legal means, but if this were truly possible why would so many be risking their lives in flimsy boats?”
In 2020, a total of 8,417 people crossed the Channel in small boats.
Home Office minister Tom Pursglove said the government was “making the tough decisions to end the overt exploitation of our laws”.
He continued: “The sooner the House of Lords approves the Nationality and Borders Bill, the sooner these reforms will be delivered.”
Unity News Network (UNN) Staff Writer | To find out more details about our staff, please head to the About Us section on our website.
