Decrease in the Number of Migrants Arriving in the UK Illegally

The number of migrants who arrived illegally in the UK on small boats in 2023 decreased to 29,437, which is about 36% less than the previous year. According to figures released by the Home Office, the last recorded arrival of these migrants in 2023 was on December 16, when 55 people were found in one boat. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made "stopping the boats" one of his top five priorities and is seeking to revive a plan hindered by the courts to send illegal arrivals in the UK to Rwanda. The year 2022 recorded a record number of 45,775 migrants arriving on small boats to the southern shores of England following a perilous journey across the English Channel, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.