{"id":3283,"date":"2024-03-31T17:11:59","date_gmt":"2024-03-31T17:11:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadafirst.nfshost.com\/?p=3283"},"modified":"2024-03-31T17:12:33","modified_gmt":"2024-03-31T17:12:33","slug":"conquest-by-other-means-record-number-of-migrants-cross-channel-in-first-three-months-of-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadafirst.nfshost.com\/?p=3283","title":{"rendered":"Conquest By Other Means: Record number of migrants cross Channel in first three months of year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Record number of migrants cross Channel in first three months of year<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Some 4,644 migrants have crossed the English Channel to the UK so far in 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/authors\/c\/cf-cj\/charles-hymas\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Charles Hymas,<\/a>&nbsp;HOME AFFAIRS EDITOR27 March 2024 \u2022 12:48pm<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ci3.googleusercontent.com\/meips\/ADKq_NaClJ3sm7JgBt2Dnv6wYdFFPMjdYB0L3LWMJguAdVWl2RW-y-TkJiXoMMx0824DSdY9MVCwWCHzMpU32jUTyBdjN2E2j-9WsS1DgdWKewfPypRjW352lWKeoVC4ouHQgHyzC3b_pPu670qjuqL-uUiRDLqkRI5rB8rfBcIPKnocU0sXdB4-40Nf3bqQG_lWUSRA9KjHM3EVDBeL1h6LuKuALlT6jV8m9G2K31dWFD1yypeCnfY81_rBEEGPpfeJWrejVIWz=s0-d-e1-ft#https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/content\/dam\/news\/2024\/03\/27\/TELEMMGLPICT000371829493_17115393129430_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqyezZw7xbEqAKOdJbMb6knb4Cq9E5fsDzMw2ZMZW5GCM.jpeg?imwidth=680\" alt=\"A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, on Monday\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, on Monday&nbsp;CREDIT: Gareth Fuller<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A record 4,644 migrants have&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/03\/21\/busiest-day-migrant-channel-crossings-total-passes-4000\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">crossed the Channel in small boats<\/a>&nbsp;in the first three months of this year, Home Office figures showed on Wednesday.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some 338 people were detected crossing&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/the-channel\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the English Channel<\/a>&nbsp;to the UK on Tuesday, bringing the cumulative number of arrivals so far in 2024 to the highest since the first small boats reached the UK in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The cumulative number of arrivals so far this year is 23 per cent higher than the total at this point last year, which was 3,770, and 12 per cent higher than the total at this stage in 2022, which was 4,162.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The figures have reversed the trend from last year, when the total 29,437 arrivals were down 36 per cent on the annual record of 45,774.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It comes after last week saw a record daily high for the year, when 504 migrants arrived on Wednesday in small boats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It means more than 20,000 migrants have crossed the Channel since the Government introduced its stop the boats legislation in the form of the Illegal Migration Act, which received Royal Assent in July last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It gives ministers the powers to deem any migrant\u2019s asylum claim inadmissible if they arrived in the UK illegally and deport them to a safe third country such as Rwanda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The migrants are, however, in limbo because the Government has yet to implement the legislation but is not allowing them to claim asylum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The surge comes despite a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2023\/08\/17\/france-stops-fewer-channel-migrants-480m-funding-from-uk\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">three-year \u00a3480 million Anglo-French deal<\/a>&nbsp;agreed by Rishi Sunak last year to pay for a doubling in officers patrolling French beaches to 800, a joint command centre and a detention centre to prevent migrants from leaving France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It emerged at the weekend that the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/01\/04\/france-criticises-britain-for-failing-to-stop-boats\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">French have been adopting tougher tactics<\/a>&nbsp;including physically trying to force small boats to turn round for the first time, manoeuvres known as \u201cpull backs\u201d used in an attempt to stop small boats reaching British shores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tactics filmed by campaigners showed French Border Force vessels circling a migrant boat, causing waves to flood the dinghy; ramming into a small boat while threatening passengers with a large tank of pepper spray; and puncturing boats when they are already at sea, forcing migrants to swim back to shore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">French police face \u2018increased violence on beaches\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Government\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/rwanda\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Rwanda Bill<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 a key plank of Mr Sunak\u2019s pledge to stop the boats \u2013 has been delayed until after the Easter recess after a series of heavy defeats inflicted on the Government by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/politics\/2024\/03\/04\/rishi-sunak-latest-news-budget-rwanda-ken-clarke\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lords<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It has raised fears that efforts to get the first&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/03\/14\/rwanda-flights-unlikely-to-take-off-until-end-of-may\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">deportation flights to Rwanda<\/a>&nbsp;are likely to be delayed from May until June, when the people smugglers ramp up operations to take advantage of the calmer, better weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Responding to questions over the three-week delay, the Prime Minister\u2019s official spokesman said: \u201cThe legislation is dealing with a migration emergency, and we are introducing that legislation as soon as we possibly can to reduce the number of people taking the perilous journey across the Channel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A Home Office spokesman said: \u201cThe unacceptable number of people who continue to cross the Channel demonstrates exactly why we must get flights to Rwanda off the ground as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe continue to work closely with French police who are facing increasing violence and disruption on their beaches as they work tirelessly to prevent these dangerous, illegal and unnecessary journeys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe remain committed to building on the successes that saw arrivals drop by more than a third last year, including tougher legislation and agreements with international partners, in order to save lives and stop the boats.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stephen Kinnock, the shadow immigration minister, said: \u201cDespite all the evidence to the contrary, Rishi Sunak keeps on telling the British people that small boat arrivals are coming down and his promise to stop the boats remains on track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCan he not see what is happening from inside his No 10 bunker, or does he think we can\u2019t see it for ourselves?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEither way, it\u2019s time to get a grip and restore order to the border. Labour will strengthen our border security, crush the smuggling gangs, clear the asylum backlog, end hotel use, and set up a new returns and enforcement unit so those with no right to be in the UK are swiftly returned. That is the plan we need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/03\/29\/illegal-immigrants-still-come-in-their-thousands\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/03\/29\/illegal-immigrants-still-come-in-their-thousands\/<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/03\/29\/illegal-immigrants-still-come-in-their-thousands\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">&nbsp;Sunak<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Illegal immigrants still come in their thousands. This will be the end of Rishi Sunak<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There have been no promised flights to Rwanda. The Government rattles its sabre at illegal migrants \u2013 and then puts them up in lovely hotels<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/authors\/r\/rk-ro\/ross-clark\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ROSS CLARK<\/a>29 March 2024 \u2022 11:41am<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ci3.googleusercontent.com\/meips\/ADKq_Na0wvxtaHIlyERg3y-0CQpBTIScBfahhXAaxmrGaiEg60o8NWrewYTwO8sEI7OVkmWap61g76pj6JtF-ezLu-nzwi9EH8_YN1JZaLvp6nSkJwp7R8UvWindGSqEWnxfoqHm1iHB0rKc6aIBITxsBAmF8D3AKJ7ptfGHPkzIbpwt7sWFoJu1hFVctiZjpWD7DQldyV7xXTLe_ZoxtTEvfE2oSqs27TZUPl6x0qoRVuBnuhdhHqnJ8F0fI8pNP5SdgrWPPrnU=s0-d-e1-ft#https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/content\/dam\/news\/2024\/03\/29\/TELEMMGLPICT000369482168_17117123910650_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqqVzuuqpFlyLIwiB6NTmJwRcfSI6dlxc0VDfiMWTAIeM.jpeg?imwidth=680\" alt=\"An inflatable dinghy carrying migrants crosses the English Channel \"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Iknow it is up against some pretty strong competition from HS2 and the like, but has this or any government wasted so much money to so little effect as the millions Rishi Sunak has shelled out to the French supposedly to stop migrants crossing the Channel? The number of migrants arriving in Britain in small boats has hit&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/03\/27\/record-number-channel-migrants-cross\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">a new record<\/a>&nbsp;in the first three months of 2024. Over 4,600 have somehow managed to evade French patrols. When the weather warms up and calms down we can expect many thousands more.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rishi Sunak\u2019s government has achieved the very worst on illegal migration, by talking tough and then failing even slightly to deliver. If the Government had approached the issue of illegal migration by speaking like those mealy-mouthed charities who insist every single illegal migrant coming to Britain is \u201cdesperate\u201d, and trying to claim that they would all prove a huge boon to the country, boosting the economy and enriching our culture, you might have disagreed with that very strongly but at least you could have had a certain respect for it \u2013 the outcome would be consistent with the ideology.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, we have had one minister after another tub-thumping over&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2023\/11\/15\/rishi-sunak-rwanda-illegal-immigrants\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">illegal migration<\/a>, telling us it would go to all lengths to stop the boats \u2013 but the end result is even more illegal migration than we started with.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two possibilities here. Either Rishi Sunak and his Home Office ministers are all secret agents working for the Refugee Council and are using tough talk as cover for what they are really trying to achieve. Or they are simply incompetent, lily-livered and too intellectually feeble to take on the human rights blob. I think I favour the latter explanation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If we are going to pay the French a bean to try to stop the boats the deal should have one clear condition: that anyone landing on a British beach, or picked up in UK waters, should be automatically and instantly returned to France. There should be no legal aid, no bed and board, no nothing. The message would soon have got across that it is pointless trying to cross the Channel \u2013 you will be paying a trafficker and risking your life for no reason.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many European leaders agree that asylum-seekers must claim asylum in the first country they reach, and so unless someone is on the run from Macron\u2019s regime, they have no business crossing the Channel. All Britain and France would be doing would be to enforce that sentiment. If the European Court of Human Rights took a different view the government should tell it to stuff it, like other countries seem very happy to do on all manner of topics.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, the Government has thrashed around and got absolutely nowhere. There have been no promised flights to Rwanda. The Government rattles its sabre at illegal migrants \u2013 and then puts them up in lovely hotels. We have a government which seems to be pleading to be put out of its misery at the earliest opportunity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/03\/27\/record-number-channel-migrants-cross\/\">https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/03\/27\/record-number-channel-migrants-cross\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Record number of migrants cross Channel in first three months of year<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Some 4,644 migrants have crossed Channel to the UK so far in 2024 \u2013 23 per cent higher than total this time last year<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/authors\/c\/cf-cj\/charles-hymas\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Charles Hymas,<\/a>&nbsp;HOME AFFAIRS EDITOR27 March 2024 \u2022 12:48pm<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ci3.googleusercontent.com\/meips\/ADKq_NY3AdliHdOIrB40v-TBbikADxkPBrPtPFCx8tnJJlyNV3iCZTncEhbu4i9Y_uFc-y5JgPDZO9_XDshRNxub_jmQ9Y6GcZZ46jBzBS9NJYwmUvCVTtn0LFWIvRp4X-bgBHlmOi7T4jn6F58ryr63ROZUkW8Q_QarJIjlq95Mm821PcoQd9f4X8Q0yRgXiQN6Fix25qfdFFRs_WR2Z2OjVOtOhSGLBHsGmL4oa5hFwFYIyQ1cPvIIv2SGw33hmAsWsABtpXHo=s0-d-e1-ft#https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/content\/dam\/news\/2024\/03\/27\/TELEMMGLPICT000371829493_17115393129430_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqLUm2LqZ7QfPrWh62iB90NVTmGTZwRSZcqbDiPNar8DA.jpeg?imwidth=680\" alt=\"A group of people thought to be migrants are brought ashore at Dover, Kent, on Monday\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A group of people thought to be migrants are brought ashore at Dover, Kent, on Monday&nbsp;CREDIT: Gareth Fuller\/PA<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A record 4,644 migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/03\/21\/busiest-day-migrant-channel-crossings-total-passes-4000\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">in the first three months of this year<\/a>, Home Office figures showed on Wednesday.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some 338 people were detected&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/chase.telegraph.co.uk\/etc\/telegraph-author\/v2\/edit\/32a4915a-db01-11ee-91a6-b22c25ee69de\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">crossing to the UK<\/a>&nbsp;on Tuesday, bringing the cumulative number of arrivals so far this year to the highest since the first small boats reached the UK in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The cumulative number of arrivals is 23 per cent higher than the total at this point&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2023\/07\/08\/migrants-nearly-700-crossed-english-channel-uk-friday\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">last year<\/a>, which was 3,770, and 12 per cent higher than the total at this stage in 2022 \u2013 4,162.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The figures have reversed the trend from last year, when the total of 29,437 arrivals&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/politics\/2023\/12\/31\/migrant-crossings-fall-in-boost-for-rishi-sunak-pledge\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">was down 36 per cent<\/a>&nbsp;on the annual record of 45,774.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It comes after last week saw a record daily high for the year, when&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/03\/21\/busiest-day-migrant-channel-crossings-total-passes-4000\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">504 migrants arrived<\/a>&nbsp;on Wednesday in small boats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More than 20,000 migrants have crossed the Channel since the Government introduced its stop the boats legislation in the form of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/politics\/2023\/07\/18\/uk-migration-bill-become-law-illegal-small-boats\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the Illegal Migration Act<\/a>, which received Royal Assent in July last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It gives ministers the powers to deem any migrant\u2019s asylum claim inadmissible if they arrived in the UK illegally and deport them to a safe third country&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/politics\/2024\/03\/21\/nigel-farage-says-rwanda-flights-unlikely-to-ever-take-off\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">such as Rwanda<\/a>.The migrants are, however, in limbo because the Government has yet to implement the legislation but is not allowing them to claim asylum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The surge comes despite a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2023\/08\/17\/france-stops-fewer-channel-migrants-480m-funding-from-uk\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">three-year, \u00a3480 million Anglo-French deal<\/a>, agreed by Rishi Sunak last year, to pay for a doubling in officers patrolling French beaches to 800, a joint command centre and a detention centre to prevent migrants from leaving France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It emerged earlier this month that France&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/world-news\/2024\/03\/15\/drones-patrol-france-northern-rivers-small-boats-migrants\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">has been adopting tougher tactics<\/a>, including physically trying to force small boats to turn round for the first time, manoeuvres known as \u201cpull backs\u201d used in an attempt to stop small boats reaching British shores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tactics filmed by campaigners showed French Border Force vessels circling a migrant boat, causing waves to flood the dinghy, ramming into a small boat while threatening passengers with a large tank of pepper spray, and puncturing boats when they are already at sea, forcing migrants to swim back to shore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Government\u2019s Rwanda Bill \u2013 a key plank of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/politics\/2024\/01\/18\/three-quarters-voters-sunaks-stop-boats-pledge-gone-badly\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mr Sunak\u2019s pledge to stop the boats<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 has been delayed until after the Easter recess after a series of heavy defeats inflicted on the Government by the Lords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It has raised fears that efforts to get the first deportation flights to Rwanda are likely to be delayed&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/03\/19\/rwanda-flights-face-delay-as-lords-seek-to-inflict-fresh-de\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">from May until June<\/a>, when people smugglers ramp up operations to take advantage of the calmer, better weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Responding to questions over the three-week delay, the Prime Minister\u2019s official spokesman said: \u201cThe legislation is dealing with a migration emergency, and we are introducing that legislation as soon as we possibly can to reduce the number of people taking the perilous journey across the Channel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A Home Office spokesman said: \u201cThe unacceptable number of people who continue to cross the Channel demonstrates exactly why we must get flights to Rwanda off the ground as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe continue to work closely with French police, who are facing increasing violence and disruption on their beaches as they work tirelessly to prevent these dangerous, illegal and unnecessary journeys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe remain committed to building on the successes that saw arrivals drop by more than a third last year, including tougher legislation and agreements with international partners, in order to save lives and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/politics\/2024\/02\/19\/post-brexit-deal-eu-border-agency-stop-boats-sunak\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">stop the boats<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stephen Kinnock, the shadow immigration minister, said: \u201cDespite all the evidence to the contrary, Rishi Sunak keeps on telling the British people that small boat arrivals are coming down and his promise to stop the boats remains on track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCan he not see what is happening from inside his Number 10 bunker, or does he think we can\u2019t see it for ourselves?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEither way, it\u2019s time to get a grip and restore order to the border. Labour will strengthen our border security, crush the smuggling gangs, clear the asylum backlog, end&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2023\/06\/03\/migrants-forced-share-rooms\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">hotel use<\/a>&nbsp;and set up a new returns and enforcement unit so those with no right to be in the UK are swiftly returned. That is the plan we need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/politics\/2024\/03\/27\/rishi-sunak-latest-news-nhs-poll-mp-resignations-rees-mogg\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/politics\/2024\/03\/27\/rishi-sunak-latest-news-nhs-poll-mp-resignations-rees-mogg\/<\/a>&nbsp; &nbsp; Sunak has failed on small boats pledge, says Reform leader Richard Tice&nbsp;<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Updated 18 minutes ago<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ci3.googleusercontent.com\/meips\/ADKq_NZRKP_Lkqnm8_19aeCleOejqd4CjDmiiKwX-SX8vrqf2CpCPf8sDEjFsNTxsX9qETuh9us4ffeM8Q_sDfzLJLduw5-VKVnNZv0XrFPAHoTOAmuWds38XB0rNP62vkc-PHvnZkftq53lG_sdVRpSm4uhuDfJXlKbcoqFF4b3CRJfRpGT-XqXPLRq7P9BQ6cUT_BJfnew2y47m5LHgaWOIJqJpJlHiiIW2lzKubtilQehv_OzATCShCOoEbYtowRmVlS6JaXYjRLL-Q=s0-d-e1-ft#https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/content\/dam\/politics\/2024\/03\/27\/TELEMMGLPICT000370194815_17115438169210_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqpVlberWd9EgFPZtcLiMQf0Rf_Wk3V23H2268P_XkPxc.jpeg?imwidth=680\" alt=\"Richard Tice, the Reform UK leader \"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Richard Tice, the Reform UK leader&nbsp;CREDIT: Jamie Lorriman<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Richard Tice claimed Rishi Sunak had \u201cfailed\u201d on his pledge to stop the boats after Channel crossings for the first three months of 2024 hit a record high.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Official figures published by the Home Office today showed 338 people arrived in seven boats yesterday, taking the total for the year to date to 4,644.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That is a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/03\/27\/record-number-channel-migrants-cross\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">new high water mark<\/a>&nbsp;for the first three months of a calendar year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mr Tice, the Reform UK leader, described the numbers as an \u201cillegal migrant surge\u201d as he took aim at Mr Sunak over the promise he made in January 2023 to stop the crossings.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Home Office said the numbers showed why Rwanda migrant deportation flights needed to take off \u201cas soon as possible\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Government\u2019s Rwanda Bill is nearing the end of its journey through Parliament, with ministers still hoping the first flights will take off this spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/03\/27\/clapham-chemical-attacker-ezedi-muslim-burial-christianity\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Clapham chemical attacker given Muslim burial despite conversion to Christianity<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Clapham chemical attacker given Muslim burial despite conversion to Christianity<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Abdul Ezedi\u2019s funeral conducted by mosque in west London amid claims he was not a worshipper there<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/authors\/s\/sp-st\/steve-bird\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Steve Bird<\/a>27 March 2024 \u2022 12:31pm<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ci3.googleusercontent.com\/meips\/ADKq_NaZgLcNCJmo38dXVkksbojnUk3L5aaZOZdczgj5JBeIvm4YpJzFWdnEu0nDgKMXVY6mREOkf03wgk8WCZNVvmOzfToXBehQ4oKgOehmQHlmt_oLgf5A0B9aQrmI8W7LV3d8fo2mGV3VXkR_x_5UTebOsVJNYB_Yf139YrwIbFh2ZKYCbpJ-TuiZ5laXmwrsZJRp6Y9iWyfwTjt-1ZhXpQphqnj1bvjB-SaacKt3gW-dx4_t1bhBvN89IN9d4_2Qeqmxa2tK=s0-d-e1-ft#https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/content\/dam\/news\/2024\/03\/27\/TELEMMGLPICT000364837535_17115404601120_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqMH23p6MqYyHllPwAo81HGNiAdQ5ALsU4rUEW9wBHnbI.jpeg?imwidth=680\" alt=\"Abdul Ezedi\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Abdul Ezedi&#8217;s body was found in the River Thames in<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;February&nbsp;CREDIT: Metropolitan Police Handout<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/02\/01\/footage-chemical-attack-clapham-london\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Clapham chemical attacker<\/a>&nbsp;was given a Muslim funeral and burial despite converting to Christianity to claim UK asylum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Abdul Ezedi, an Afghan national, had been at the centre of a manhunt after attacking a 31-year-old mother and her two daughters with a corrosive substance in south London in January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Immigration files published on Tuesday showed the convicted sex offender had twice been refused asylum by the Home Office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But, when he later insisted he had&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/02\/06\/clapham-attack-abdul-ezedi-converted-christianity-baptist\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">converted to Christianity<\/a>&nbsp;and obtained the endorsement of a Baptist priest he was granted leave to remain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The dossier showed he had repeatedly failed to answer basic questions about Christianity, lied about his past and was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/02\/06\/clapham-attack-suspect-exposed-himself-to-woman-says-friend\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">deemed such a sexual threat<\/a>&nbsp;that a special worshipping agreement was put in place for him to attend a church in Jarrow, South Tyneside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is now understood that Ezedi\u2019s family and friends requested that he should be given a Muslim funeral and burial after his body was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/02\/23\/clapham-attack-abdul-ezedi-drowned-confirmed-river-thames\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">found in the River Thames<\/a>&nbsp;in February. It raises the prospect that those closest to him did not believe he had abandoned his Muslim faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Telegraph revealed in February how he was known in Newcastle, where he lived, to be&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/02\/02\/clapham-chemical-attack-suspect-good-muslim\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">a devout Muslim<\/a>&nbsp;who observed Ramadan and only ate Halal food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His funeral was conducted by a mosque in west London, and he was given a Muslim burial at a cemetery in east London on March 11, the BBC has claimed. He is not thought to have been known to the mosque which buried him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Muslim funeral director, who did not want to be named, told the broadcaster: \u201cAs a funeral directors, we don\u2019t look into people\u2019s past, we look at how we can help in a situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur job was just to provide a dignified burial for the deceased.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ci3.googleusercontent.com\/meips\/ADKq_NYRW34t6rzJ6sOeOih-zbCdT3HlV09vGzb0ZW2DfQBnjxWLagAlY4R1Y3UoCVabW6i2_ltkBn3EPNV4rP9ChYRv6HyuggNGL5Mc0UYxM9-sncu-cRDfmX59t_Gdk_gbMBe81j7kYis3WHiqe8I7FEUokpkCNAOXm7udr3xZhcjPJj13TAq7TP-F930qffi3skZJq54qVmtF7Tf8U6PTmThylaRJPrc7hwzJgsA5crGkCH9bIfKcaFL-h40upvg21ZYsJJQL=s0-d-e1-ft#https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/content\/dam\/news\/2024\/03\/27\/TELEMMGLPICT000371890771_17115404921050_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqO-NQjx60lzqnFRETso1T2zsl4Ym9DTXtcO60ItQ9G7M.jpeg?imwidth=480\" alt=\"Ezedi was given a Muslim burial at a cemetery in east London\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Ezedi was given a Muslim burial at a cemetery in east London&nbsp;CREDIT: UNPIXS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The BBC claimed some worshippers, many of whom had an Afghan background, said Ezedi had not been a worshipper there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The mosque, which often conducts funerals for asylum seekers who die alone, asks for donations from regular worshippers to help with costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But when it asked for contributions in Ezedi\u2019s case, some people were said to have been upset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One worshipper, who did not want to be identified, said Ezedi, 35, had&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/02\/03\/abdul-ezedi-clapham-chemical-attack-suspect-relationship\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u201cattacked innocent people\u201d<\/a>&nbsp;and converted to Christianity, adding that it was \u201cthe responsibility of the church to bury him according to his new belief or religion, not the mosque\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The newly released immigration papers show his conversion and his baptism at Grange Road Baptist Church in Jarrow had been pivotal in persuading a tribunal judge&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/02\/01\/clapham-chemical-attack-suspect-abdul-ezedi-asylum-seeker\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">to let him stay<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the Home Office opposed the decision pointing out Ezedi had been unable to explain the reasons for his conversion or demonstrate a clear understanding of Christian principles. Asked what the Old Testament was about, he replied: \u201cJesus Christ.\u201d He also claimed Jacob was one of the Apostles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Asked what God was believed to have created on the third day, he answered: \u201cGood Friday and Easter Sunday and Resurrection Day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Home Office officials told the tribunal they believed Ezedi was prepared to \u201cuse religion for his own ends\u201d in order to secure asylum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, Judge O\u2019Hanlon, the immigration judge, said in 2020 that although Ezedi had lied in other aspects of his claim, that did not \u201cautomatically mean that his evidence in relation to his claimed conversion could not be believed\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He wrote in his judgment that he found the \u201cmost compelling evidence\u201d had come from Reverend Roy Merrin, the then ministry team leader at Grange Road Baptist Church in Jarrow, who said he had known Ezedi for four years and that he attended church regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The priest told the hearing he was \u201caware of people who fraudulently claimed conversion with ulterior motives in relation to asylum but did not consider the appellant (Ezedi) was such a person\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/us\/comment\/2024\/03\/28\/american-terrorism-isis-k-southern-border-illegal-migrants\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The enemies of the West are exploiting our open borders<\/a>The enemies of the West are exploiting our open borders<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/us\/comment\/2024\/03\/28\/american-terrorism-isis-k-southern-border-illegal-migrants\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ci3.googleusercontent.com\/meips\/ADKq_NZA0a5SSqpTtR85YNH0n_YL5t5N8ltUzm65iOyINStFU2tx6hrz_THseZg9rEmABc3wY1H3cAR49KkmfLa2bFfCWwkc7FS8d_dfJb1JXOZUxTbujjmZdWu1=s0-d-e1-ft#https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/nq\/storm\/assets\/enhancrV2\/23\/logos\/telegraph.png\" height=\"36\">The enemies of the West are exploiting our<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Record number of migrants cross Channel in first three months of year Some 4,644 migrants have crossed the English Channel to the UK so far in 2024 Charles Hymas,&nbsp;HOME AFFAIRS EDITOR27 March 2024 \u2022 12:48pm A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, on Monday&nbsp;CREDIT: Gareth Fuller A record [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2392,2390,565,2393,2388,2391,2389],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadafirst.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3283"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadafirst.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadafirst.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadafirst.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadafirst.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3283"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/canadafirst.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3283\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3284,"href":"https:\/\/canadafirst.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3283\/revisions\/3284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadafirst.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadafirst.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadafirst.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}