more than 10,000 migrants have crossed the Channel since the start of the year, a record

More than 10,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel since the start of the year. Five new boats reached the south of England on Friday May 24, with 288 migrants on board, according to figures from the Interior Ministry published on Saturday. The total of 10,170 people is a record, in the middle of the electoral campaign. This figure represents an increase of more than 35% compared to last year.

Illegal immigration is a major issue in the campaign which officially started on Wednesday, with the announcement of the election date by Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The latter had promised to put an end to the arrival of irregular migrants and had even made it one of his priorities. The Conservative government hoped to deter migrants from coming to the UK with its law to deport thousands of asylum seekers to Rwanda.