UK: The British Ministry of Defense (MoD) estimates that more than 18,000 people have crossed the English Channel so far this year.

The number of people brought to Britain this year has reached 18,108 after 337 people traveled across the Channel in 10 small boats on Saturday.

The milestone was reached on Monday this year, five days after the busiest day for the Channel crossing, when 696 people were rescued and brought ashore by the Border Force.

According to an analysis of preliminary data from the Ministry of Defense, 1,709 people have been brought to Britain so far in August. Of the 3,053 people rescued in August 2021, more than half were in that group.

Most of them were brought ashore at Dover in south-east England, but many of them, including those brought ashore on 1 August, were taken ashore due to overcrowding concerns around the port of Dover, about 45 km from Ramsgate. was transferred to the port of Brought by freight and tourist traffic.

During the week ending 19 April, 2,076 people dangerously crossed the English Channel, making it the busiest week for the crossing so far in 2022.

The Met Office has confirmed that warm weather and calm winds are expected to prevail over the south-east of England, so crossings are likely to continue until next week.

Ever since Home Secretary Priti Patel announced the Rwanda deal on April 14, 12,840 people have passed. Under the agreement, the UK government sends asylum seekers to the East African nation to process their applications.

The information comes after a report by the British Red Cross and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, released on Wednesday, revealed serious flaws in the British asylum system, which are vulnerable to people seeking protection, including those who putting people at risk who escaped modern slavery being exploited. 

According to the study, people who need protection are facing potential disadvantages due to inadequate support. It draws examples of vulnerable asylum seekers into modern slavery, including forced domestic slavery, the exploitation of their labor and sexuality, and forced criminality.

The report concluded that direct changes to the asylum process would reduce these risks of exploitation by putting security at the center of the asylum system.

The Home Office said it was taking into account the findings of the report.
A spokesman said: "We are committed to ensuring that individuals are protected from the heinous crime of modern slavery and that the safety and well-being of the thousands in asylum housing assistance is taken very seriously.

We will take appropriate action, such as working with the police or supporting someone through a national referral mechanism, when we suspect that an asylum seeker is in danger or at risk of exploitation.

Any asylum seeker who may be in trouble is urged to report it immediately.

"Our new immigration plan will fix the broken asylum system, allowing us to deport more quickly those without legal status while providing protection to those who are eligible."

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