Dozens of migrants were packed onto a boat (Image: STEVE FINN PHOTOGRAPHY)
Migrants from at least 70 different countries crossed the English Channel last year, the Daily Express can reveal.
The Home Office was on Friday warned the small boat crisis was “spiralling out of control” and “getting worse”, with a record number crossing so far this year.
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Some 235 people arrived on Thursday, with more detected on Friday, making it seven consecutive days of crossings.
And Daily Express analysis today reveals Russians, a German national, a Belgian and a Polish national were among 70 nationalities to cross in 2024.
Border Force Typhoon rescued migrants from the Channel (Image: STEVE FINN PHOTOGRAPHY)
We can disclose seven Russians arrived by small boat last year as well as one Belgian, one German, four Serbians, one Greek national and one Pole.
Alarmingly, four of these were all schoolgirls aged 17 or under. They all submitted asylum applications to join family members in the UK.
All but one of the Russians were adult males, this newspaper understands.
Analysis reveals the number of migrants arriving from Yemen increased sharply last year, after British and American forces launched airstrikes targeting Houthi fighters in the war-torn nation.
Before last year, a record 252 Yemeni people crossed the Channel – in 2020.
Houthi rebels – backed by Iran – attacked ships transiting through the Red Sea, prompting fears of an inflation crisis. British and American fighter jets and warships then destroyed dozens of targets across the country.
The wide variety of nationalities crossing the Channel will prompt renewed fears over Britain’s porous borders,
Reform UK MP Lee Anderson said: "We have no clear understanding of the beliefs, backgrounds, or motives of the thousands of people crossing the English Channel each week.
“Proper background checks and vetting are virtually non-existent. No country can sustain this level of immigration without significant strain on public services and societal cohesion.
“The 1,000 migrants who arrived just last week are projected to cost British taxpayers over ￡41 million this year.
“The boat crisis is spiralling out of control, and only Reform is committed to fixing it.
“The undeniable link between unchecked immigration, economic challenges, and rising crime must be addressed. Reform will take action and turn things around."
Analysis reveals the number of migrants arriving from Yemen increased sharply last year, after British and American forces launched airstrikes targeting Houthi fighters in the war-torn nation.
Before last year, 252 Yemeni people crossed the Channel.
Tory MP Neil O’Brien told the Daily Express: "The small boats crisis is getting worse and worse under Starmer. Crossings are already up by more than a quarter and there has been an explosion in recent days.
“He said he would smash the gangs but the gangs are smashing him. We won't fix this until we sort out human rights law so and people will know that if they come illegally they won't get to stay."
In total, 36,816 migrants crossed the Channel last year, with almost 6,000 Afghans amongst them.
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A French RIB shadows a migrant dinghy (Image: STEVE FINN PHOTOGRAPHY)
Some 4,630 Syrians arrived by small boat, 4,158 Iranians, 3,602 Vietnamese asylum seekers, 3,380 Eritreans, 2,695 Sudanese migrants, 2,064 Iraqis, 1,911 Turks, 1,280 people from Yemen, and 972 from Kuwait.
Three Ukrainians also arrived in the UK by small boat last year, despite a bespoke refugee scheme being set up when Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Almost 27,000 migrants have crossed the Channel since Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister.
Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt was in Calais and Paris on Wednesday and Thursday meeting his counterpart Patrick Stefanini.
They agreed to bolster efforts to deport asylum seekers, disrupt smuggling gangs operating in Northern Europe, deter migrants from crossing the Channel and “tackling the root causes of irregular migration”.
The Daily Express understands this will see both London and Paris “pool” their resources to deport more migrants through gathering intelligence to build cases and working with civil servants in countries such as Iraq and Vietnam.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: "By cancelling the Rwanda deterrent before it even started, Labour has lost control of our borders. Illegal channel crossings are up 26% since the election as a result.
“Removals of small boat arrivals are down again under Labour, with only 4 per cent of small boat arrivals being removed. Does the Labour Government really think that letting 96 per cent of illegal immigrants stay here is going to deter anybody?
“The Labour Government has smashed farmers, pensioners and small businesses yet the people smuggling gangs are acting with impunity under Labour.”
French interior minister Bruno Retailleau vowed to “rethink our approach” after talks with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper last week.
But on Wednesday morning, the Daily Express witnessed one of the deathtrap boats being escorted by a French naval ship – Ridens – to the median line in the Channel, where up to 60 migrants were then taken to Dover by the UK’s Border Force Typhoon.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has confirmed migrants face up to five years in prison if they refuse to be rescued in the Channel by the French authorities.
The Home Secretary said a new offence will be created to target those endangering another life during a small boat crossing.
Asylum seekers fighting with French police on the beaches, dangling children over the edge of a small boat or “rushing” vessels as they try to launch could all be prosecuted, with a maximum penalty of five years behind bars.
Criminals caught selling or handling small boat parts, such as engines or lifejackets, could also be jailed for up to 14 years as the Home Office will make it “illegal to supply or handle items suspected of being for use by organised crime groups”.
Officials believe they could even extradite criminals operating in countries such as Turkey and prosecute them under this new law.
Ms Cooper has insisted giving Border Force counter-terrorism-style powers will allow the UK to “identify, disrupt and smash people smuggling gangs” faster.
Immigration officers and police will also be able to seize phones, laptops and other electronic devices before they arrest anyone if they are suspected of “containing information about organised immigration crime”.
Home Office sources warn Border Force officers often face “floating crime scenes”, with traumatised migrants unable to speak about the horrors of the fatal crossings.
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A Home Office spokesperson said: “We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.
“Public safety remains our first priority, which is why mandatory security checks are conducted on all small boat arrivals by linking biometric data to immigration, security and criminality databases.
“If an individual of national security interest enters illegally, the firmest possible action will be taken, which could include removal or action by law enforcement.”