25% Increase in Asylum Seekers Entering the UK via the English Channel; Iranians Rank Third

The number of foreign asylum seekers entering the UK via the English Channel, which connects France to this country, has seen a 25% increase over the past year. According to the French news agency on Wednesday, January 1, citing the UK Home Office, 36,816 foreign asylum seekers entered the country through the dangerous Channel route last year. Although this figure represents a 25% increase compared to last year, it is nearly 9,000 fewer than the record set in 2022. The latest statistics on the details of foreign refugee arrivals indicate that in the first nine months of last year, Afghans accounted for 17% of the refugees, followed by nationals from Vietnam, Iran, and Syria. The report also states that a total of 76 refugees lost their lives on this route last year, and French authorities say they saved the lives of 5,800 refugees in the English Channel. The surge in asylum seekers from the Channel has increased pressure on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Although the Labour Party won the elections in July this year, right-wing parties have also strengthened their position due to their opposition to granting asylum to foreigners. Mr. Starmer has stated that he will intensify efforts to combat the entry of asylum seekers through the Channel. Upon taking office, he abandoned the previous Conservative government's controversial plan to send illegal migrants to Rwanda, calling it a "trick"; instead, he promised to dismantle the human trafficking gangs that "control the passageways." He has described human trafficking networks as a "global security threat similar to terrorism." Over the past eight years, 150,000 foreign asylum seekers have entered the UK via small boats.