Less than 100 small boat migrants have been detained as a result of new laws enacted to deal with illegal immigration.
Anyone who enters the UK without the right authorization or a valid cause may face a penalty of up to four years in prison, according to measures implemented under the Nationality and Borders Act earlier this year.
However, the BBC, which got the data, stated that since the restrictions went into effect at the end of June, just 96 arrests had been made as a result of them.
This amounts to 0.3% of all individuals who have crossed the English Channel since the summer. At the time, ministers predicted that the restrictions would stop migrants from crossing.
In addition to the 96 arrests made under the new regulations, a spokeswoman for the Home Office said that during the summer, 180 more had been made in accordance with existing immigration rules.
‘The Nationality and Borders Bill was a charade. It has added paperwork and delays without proposing any meaningful solutions to solve the issue,’ said Stephen Kinnock, the immigration spokesperson for Labour. The issues have become worse since it arrived.
“The Government has failed to effectively address the smuggling gangs or settle asylum cases and has expanded the backlog, further delaying decisions for individuals escaping persecution,” he said.
“Labour has a serious five-point strategy to deal with this issue, which includes creating a sizable new cross-border police team to go after the gangs and a fast track for Albania and other secure nations.” The Conservatives must regain control.
»Report: 96 small boat migrants are seized under new Channel crossing procedures«