This House of Lords Library topical briefing provides wider context to the migrant crossings in the channel, examines the reasons why greater numbers are undertaking seaborne crossings, and outlines the government's response to the recent rise in crossings.
English Channel Migrant Boat Crossings (208 KB, PDF)
In December 2018 there was a significant increase in the numbers of migrants, many claiming to be Iranian on arrival, attempting to reach the UK by crossing the English Channel in small ill-equipped inflatable boats. This, in addition to the fact that the English Channel contains some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world and has unpredictable weather conditions, were factors that, combined, posed a real danger to lives. It led to the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, declaring the crossings a “major incident” on 28 December 2018. This briefing provides some wider context to the migrant crossings in the channel, examines specifically why migrants appear to be taking more risky and extreme measures to cross the channel on small boats, and outlines what the government’s response has been to this recent rise in crossings. In line with media reports on this subject, this briefing refers to all individuals moving across borders that have not yet completed the legal process of claiming asylum as migrants.
English Channel Migrant Boat Crossings (208 KB, PDF)
The Queen’s Speech is due to take place on 11 May 2021. In this speech, the Government will set out its plans for the new parliamentary session. This article considers what announcements might be made about home affairs.
The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement formally entered into force on 1 May 2021, having applied provisionally since the start of the year. However, there are still aspects of the post-Brexit relationship between the UK and the EU that remain to be settled or fully implemented. This article looks at some key dates and deadlines likely to come up in the new parliamentary session.
Since 1 January 2021, the UK has been operating a new points-based immigration system. Critics suggest that human trafficking and human smuggling could increase under this system. This article explores two of these concerns.
