Britain’s Migrant Boat Headache

Britain continues to see waves of boats landing on its coast carrying illegal immigrants. The sight of dinghies being towed to shore and migrant men disembarking has become a regular sight. The boats are the most visible and embarrassing sign that immigration is anything but under control. It is also a warning to America that maritime borders can often be inviting to illegal aliens.

Britain is separated from the European continent by the English Channel, just 18 miles of water at its narrowest point. Migrants from Africa and the Middle East have been crossing Europe with Britain as their goal, attracted by its free healthcare and generous housing and cash allowances for migrants. The migrants typically congregate in port cities in France and Belgium before setting sail for Britain. As a general rule, the boats will be intercepted by either the Royal Navy or the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI), towing the boat to the UK under the pretense of preventing drownings.

The scale of this maritime assault on Britain’s borders has mounted dramatically in recent years. In 2019, just 1,800 migrants crossed the Channel all year. By 2022, this number had reached nearly 46,000 migrants in 1,100 boats. Given the UK has a population one-fifth the size of the U.S., this would be the equivalent of 5,500 boats carrying 230,000 migrants landing here.

The sheer numbers have been difficult to comprehend and have struck at the heart of Britain’s view of itself. Traditionally, the Channel was seen as being akin to a castle moat, and one that protected the country for centuries from successful invasion. As boats continue to pile up on the beaches, this perception has been shattered, as has the reputation of the navy and RNLI, who are increasingly seen as being little more than shuttle taxis from migrants.

The statistics on migrants themselves show that 86 percent of migrants are men. This has caused outrage among Britons, who believe that women and children should be admitted first if there really are grounds to flee a country. The migrants are mostly Africans and Middle Easterners, with Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan being disproportionally represented in migrant statistics, with over 50,000 migrants from these three nationalities between 2018 and 2023. Migrants from these boats have been implicated in high-profile crimes, such as the alleged gang rape of a girl in Kent by Afghan boat migrants, and the alleged rape of a woman in Lincolnshire by a Channel migrant who had been in the UK just 40 days. Adding to this sense of outrage are social media posts by migrants boasting of the taxpayer largesse they receive.

The boats were one of the main triggers for Britain adopting its agreement with Rwanda, which would see migrants to the UK sent to Rwanda. Despite some evidence that migrants are spooked by this, and some headed to Ireland instead of the UK, others are more defiant that they will keep trying. Britain’s attempts to enforce the Rwanda agreement have been hampered at every turn by aggressive lawfare by open-borders groups. The boats are just one of several migration headaches for Britain, as mass migration in general has hit record high numbers of a 685,000 net increase in 2023.

This all matters for the U.S. for several reasons. The U.S. is also seeing that short stretches of water can offer ample opportunities for illegal migrant boats. California’s beaches are seeing speedboats full of migrants landing on shore, with the migrants then running up the beach as bewildered sunbathers and volleyball players look on. On the opposite side of the country, the Florida Keys has also seen boats loaded with migrants attempting to get to the U.S. coast. Smugglers may be taking advantage of the fact America’s land borders are completely overrun and there is a perception among some smugglers and migrants that the coasts are not being watched as closely as a result.

Britain will elect a new government in July, following an announcement that elections will be held early. Whoever wins that election will have to address the boat crisis. Meanwhile, the U.S. and its borders also remain open, including a coastline many times longer than that of the UK. Whether it be the northern Border with Canada, the deserts of the Southwest or America’s long coasts, illegal aliens will keep probing to try and break into the U.S. unless a commitment is made at the highest level to stop them.