More than five thousand people have arrived in Britain via the Channel since the beginning of the year, and it is expected that up to 56,000 migrants will cross the English Channel in small boats to its shores this year. This means the country will need to accommodate up to 140,000 asylum seekers, according to court documents. The government indicated in documents presented today, Wednesday, to the High Court in London, which is considering a case brought against it, that it could have accommodated more than 109,000 asylum seekers by March, including 48,000 in hotels at a cost of £6.2 million ($7.7 million) per day.
The documents state: "The number of those needing support is expected to rise significantly: The operational plans of the Home Office are based on scenarios indicating that up to 56,000 migrants will arrive in small boats in 2023... This will raise the number seeking support to between 120,000 and 140,000."
The Sunak government announced in March a new law prohibiting anyone who arrives by small boat from applying for asylum and mandating their removal to their home country or a third safe country. This follows a record increase in the number of migrants reaching the southern coast of England, exceeding 45,000 in 2022, representing a 500 percent rise over the past two years.
