The number of illegal aliens, mostly from the third world, crossing the English Channel by boat has exceeded the 10,000 mark, with Brexit leader Nigel Farage now predicting 30,000 migrants will make it to Britain in 2021.
According to Home Office figures, 481 illegals reached England in 21 boats on Wednesday, representing a new daily high. On Thursday, 475 migrants in 15 vessels arrived, taking the total to 857 in just 48 hours. July had seen a new monthly record 3,500 migrants arrive.
The Times reported on Thursday that the new arrivals take the total number of crossings for this year so far to 10,500.
Brexit leader Nigel Farage had predicted in recent months that a record-breaking 20,000 illegals could arrive this year, but on Thursday set a new prediction of 30,000.
Remarking on the number of landings on Thursday, Mr Farage said: “Another total failure of the Home Office as 475 people crossed the channel today. My predictions are coming true. 30,000 here we come.”
Border Force sources told the newspaper of record that people-smugglers have begun launching mass waves of boats in order to overwhelm authorities in France, the country from which the vast majority of illegals depart after first travelling through several other safe countries in Europe.
Last month, the British government agreed to give France an additional £55 million to stop the smugglers and illegals, on top of the £28 million sent last year. Since 2014, the UK has given some £192 million to the French to encourage them to control their own external sea borders, without significant success.
Of the 1,341 attempted crossings, the French had only stopped 384, a fraction of those that had made it to England.
Home Secretary Priti Patel has sent British immigration minister Chris Philp on an urgent mission to northern France to discuss with his counterparts increasing rates of detecting illegal immigration activity from their shores.
“Our hopeless immigration minister Chris Philp is in Calais today. Making sure our recent 54 million pound donation to the French is being used to stop migrants leaving French beaches. 1,300 have come in the last 3 days! Minister, you have been mugged,” Farage added on Friday.
Farage has long taken the position of former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott, that the only way to stop illegal crossings is to turn the boats back to where they came from, thus signalling that those serious about asylum should make claims using official means and legal routes.
By 2017 Abbott’s Operation Sovereign Borders had seen 900 days without a single boatload of illegals landing on Australian shores.
Referencing the simple tactic, Mr Farage told GB News on Thursday: “As soon as we have the political will and the courage to take those boats back to France — which, after all, is a safe country — this will stop. But until we do it, it will go on, and it will escalate.”
Reports at the end of last month revealed that thousands of illegals had gathered near the beaches of France, preparing to break into Britain.