UK: Only 15 Per Cent of Boat Migrants Are Sent Back As Iranian Illegal Immigration Surges

Amidst rising numbers of illegal crossings of the English Channel by boat migrants, a new report has found that the Conservative government of the United Kingdom deported just 15 per cent of migrants that reached British shores illegally last year.

In 2019 1,890 migrants successfully reached Britain after crossing the English Channel illegally, however, just 125 migrants were returned to European nations, despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s promise to send back those migrants who enter the UK illegally.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) states that a majority of the migrants illegally crossing the Channel are Iranian nationals, most of whom are deemed to have a “strong” case for asylum due to the repressive nature of the Islamist regime in Tehran, reports the BBC.

In the year between September of 2018 and 2019, 4,749 Iranians applied for asylum in the UK, surging by 79 per cent over the previous year. Of the total number of Iranian asylum seekers, 2,406 or 63 per cent were granted asylum in their first attempt, with more being granted the status on appeal.

It is believed that the reason for a large proportion of illegal boat migrants being comprised of Iranians is due to their comparative wealth to other asylum seekers, with a boat crossing having a higher chance of success than other methods but also being more expensive.

Entering the United Kingdom illegally by boat or other means does not disqualify a migrant from being granted asylum status, therefore groups like Iranians are incentivised to reach British soil by any means necessary in order to be given the status.

In February of last year, Director General of Operations Steve Rodhouse of the National Crime Agency (NCA) said that the increase of Iranian illegal boat crossings comes as a result of the migrants not fearing deportation.

“The business model is for the migrants to reach the point where they can engage with UK authorities whether it be on land or at sea and claim asylum at that point”, said Mr Rodhouse.

“People are happy to be and are actively seeking to be caught or engaging with UK authorities because they don’t fear being returned and that is a significant player in the issue”, he added.

Last month the former chief of immigration enforcement at the Home Office, David Wood, blamed the rise in boat crossings on increased patrols by the UK Border Force, saying: “They know they will be picked up and taken to the UK. For them, that is mission accomplished.”

Breitbart London reported in August of 2019 that there are some 40,000 failed asylum seekers who remain in the nation, despite being “subject to removal action” from the government, a figure which represented a twofold increase since 2014.

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