UK minister refuses to set migration deadline as illegal boat crossings continue to rise

Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, says the rate of illegal Channel crossings is 'far too high'

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent. More than 21,000 illegal migrants have arrived in the UK in small boats since July. PA Photo.

Britain's Home Secretary Yvette Cooper refused to set a deadline on tackling illegal migration on Sunday and denied the issue had slipped down the government's list of priorities.

More than 21,000 people have crossed the English Channel in small, dangerous boats since the Labour government took office in July.

Speaking to the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg, Ms Cooper admitted the numbers were “far too high”, but was reluctant to set herself a deadline for bringing the issue under control which, she said, would leave her at risk to being added to the list of home secretaries that make pledges on migration they often fail to keep.

There were 609 arrivals on Thursday making it the busiest December day for crossings on record. About 34,880 people have arrived in Britain on small boats so far this year, a 20 per cent increase on last year, but 22 per cent lower than 2022.

“These levels are far too high, this is dangerous what's happening,” Ms Cooper said. “Of course we want to continue to progress. Of course we want to see the boat crossings come down as rapidly as possible.”

The Labour Party previously pledged to return more people who do not have a right to stay in the UK during the first half of its first year in government than during any other six-month period since 2018. According to official figures, about 13,500 migrants have been removed from Britain since the election.

'Blight on our economy'

Ms Cooper, who has been in Rome meeting Italian Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi in an effort to increase international action against people smuggling gangs, also announced the creation of a new border security unit that will draw on expertise in her department and the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

“Criminal gangs facilitating the perilous Channel crossings operate across borders, so law enforcement and governments need to co-operate across borders to bring them down,” Ms Cooper said. “We have already made significant progress to smash the gangs, establishing our Border Security Command, increasing enforced returns by 25 per cent and signing agreements with Iraq, Germany and the G7. This unit will drive further activity across the whole of government in pursuit of our mission to bolster border security.”

The new unit will ensure UK embassies across the globe are prioritising the government’s effort to reduce the number of small boat crossings and drive up the rate at which illegal immigrants are returned.

In addition, the government will introduce a new “upstream communications campaign”, aimed at emphasising the exploitative working practices and inhumane living conditions used by some employers who take on illegal immigrants once they reach Britain. The idea is to deter potential illegal immigrants from undertaking the risky journey from their home countries in the first place.

“Illegal working is a blight on our economy,” Ms Cooper said. “It is deeply exploitative and undercuts those employers who do the right thing and play by the rules. I am boosting the capabilities of our immigration enforcement officers to make sure they have the tools they need to further crack down on illegal working and shine a light on the hidden economy and false promises that criminal smuggling gangs are using to encourage people to cross the Channel in small boats. If you employ people illegally, you will face consequences. The rules must be respected and enforced.”