Immigrants illegally cross the English Channel to the UK

Every passing day, people from Afghanistan, Iran, Vietnam, and Eritrea travel to the UK. entering the UK illegally through the English Channel. It’s illegal because they come on small boats or dinghies. They are doing this to either run from war or to find a job.

Of the 108,000 people who came seeking refuge in 2024, about a third of them arrived in small boats or dinghies. Another 4101 of that number were children without an adult under the age of 18. Crossing the English Channel is especially dangerous because it is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. The big cargo ships passing through the English Channel pose a huge threat to the small boats. The boats are also not equipped with life vests. There are a greater number of boats throughout the summer because it is deemed the safest season. However, the waters in summer are still very cold and it is never really safe. There is an estimated 82 that died in 2024 alone, making it the deadliest year so far. From 2018 to 2025, the total number of migrants who have died is 247.

When people make it to the UK, they first seek asylum. This allows them to stay and work there. Before they become a refugee, the government has to verify that they “can’t return to their home country because they face persecution.” If someone becomes a refugee and they have a child, that child can go to school. In contrast, if a single child becomes a refugee, that child is under protection from the government and will stay in a daycare or foster home, where they will be cared for and educated.

Sources

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8xgkx20dyvo

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/c99472jl49mo