More than 10,000 people reach UK in small

boats since January

L ONDON (Reuters) -More than 10,000 asylum seekers have arrived in

Britain in small boats so far this year, updated government data showed on
Saturday, underlining a key challenge facing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ahead
of a July 4 national election.

The number of people landing on England's southern beaches after making

the dangerous Channel crossing fell by a third in 2023, but the latest numbers
on a government website showed 10,170 arrived between January and May
25, up from 7,395 over the same period last year.

"We continue to work closely with our French partners to prevent crossings
and save lives," an interior ministry spokesperson said in response to the surge
in numbers.

Sunak, who announced the election date on Wednesday, said later this week
that asylum seekers who come to Britain illegally would not be deported to
Rwanda before the vote - casting doubt on one of his Conservative Party's
flagship policies.

The plan has been bogged down by legal obstacles for more than two years,
and the opposition Labour Party, which is about 20 points ahead in opinion
polls and seen on track to end 14 years of Conservative rule, has promised to
scrap the policy if it wins the election.

Labour's shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock said Sunak's

government had not done enough to tackle the issue.

"Because all the government's efforts are now focused on getting a few
hundred people flown to Rwanda, they have lost sight of the thousands more
who are crossing the Channel every month," Kinnock said in a statement.
Labour has said if elected it would create a Border Security Command that
would bring together staff from the police, the domestic intelligence agency
and prosecutors to work with international agencies to stop people
smuggling.

By: Elvin Shamsul ma’arif

Info: www.samsulxt.com.