Afghans overtake Albanians as largest group of Channel migrants - and could be sent to Rwanda

Afghans are now the largest nationality of small boat migrants, official figures show, as just 22 people were resettled through an official UK scheme. The Home Office claimed there was “no need” for them to use small boats and said refugees should “claim asylum in the first safe country they reach”. Afghans were the top nationality for small boat arrivals in these three months, making up 33 per cent of arrivals.” The Home Office said that the number of Afghans crossing the Channel had been increasing since summer 2021 - when the Taliban seized control of the country - with just 494 Afghans having used the route in 2020, 69 in 2019 and just three in 2018. “Because of this government’s failure, instead of being able to access safe routes, thousands of Afghans have been forced to take dangerous journeys in order to reach the safety of the UK, including 1,700 Afghan children forced to cross the Channel in flimsy boats.” The lack of safe routes to the UK for Afghans is pushing them to take dangerous journeys across the Channel, the Joint Centre for the Welfare of Immigrants said. He added: “The fact that the number of Afghans coming across the Channel increased five-fold but only 22 arrived on the ACRS scheme shows how the government needs to urgently rethink its approach.” The Home Office said it was working with the UN Refugee Agency to bring people to safety, but did not rule out sending Afghan asylum seekers who arrive on small boats to Rwanda.