Small boat arrivals fall to six year low - John Healey welcomes new figures
Rotherham politician and Chancellor John Healey is shining a spotlight on the facts behind small boat crossings
Rotherham MP John Healey has welcomed progress on cutting small boat arrivals to the UK.
This July saw the lowest small boat arrivals since 2020 and the number of boat crossings halved since last year, restoring control at our border.
The government says that more than 46,000 crossings have been prevented in the first two years of this Labour government, and small boat migrants are being removed at record levels.
Working closely with the French police through a new deal forged with France earlier this year, 185 small boat crossings have been stopped in just three months, totalling 60% of all small boat crossings.
The Government are also working to ensure that those who profit from th3 trade are being put into prison, by taking action against a number of people-smuggling organised crime groups with new powers through Labour's Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.
Mr Healey said: "It is welcome to see the Government making significant progress on cutting small boat arrivals. I know how important this issue is to residents across Rawmarsh and Conisbrough.
"We’ve returned more than 80,000 people with no right to be here - the highest level in a decade - by tightening our borders, removing those who have no right to stay in the UK, and ensuring asylum seekers are swiftly processed with the dignity they deserve.
"We are also honouring our commitment to ending the use of hotels, with over half closed by Labour.
"But we’re not complacent. We still have an enormous job ahead of us – but it’s one this Government is going to tackle head on."