It was the loss of returns agreements after Brexit that caused an explosion in crossings.
Prof Brooks of Durham Uni published a report in February 2023 saying that he could find
“no records of any individuals travelling by small boat to claim asylum in 2017 or before” – not one case. But as “the UK prepared to leave its returns agreement, small boat journeys started”. And the people making those journeys grew in number, from the low hundreds in 2018 to tens of thousands in 2023.
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