Oct 13, 2023. Posted by Balkan Periscope - Hellas
The number
of migrants leaving Britain after arriving on dinghies is on the rise, figures
obtained by the DailyMail show.
Internal Home Office figures show that 628 migrants were deported in the first six months of this year, compared to 382 in all of 2022.
The
increase has been driven by a significant increase in the number of Albanian
emigrants returned to their homeland under the terms of the return agreement
signed with Tirana in December. Of the 628 departures from January to
June, 512 were Albanians.
45 Iraqis,
17 Iranians and 54 other nationalities also left the UK in this period.
Throughout
the year 2022, 215 Albanians, 83 Iraqis, 31 Iranians and 53 of other
nationalities have returned.
In all of
2021, there were just 28 small boat migrants leaving Britain, the data
revealed.
If returns
for the second half of this year continue at a similar pace, it would see the
annual total of emigrants leave reach more than 1,200, a 200 percent
year-on-year increase.
The number
of arrivals so far this year is down 27 percent on the same point last
year. Official figures show that 601 migrants have arrived in Britain this
week, taking the annual total to 25,931, compared with 35,604 at the same point
last year.
A Home
Office source said: "The number of dinghies arriving through the
channel, especially from Albanians, which enable illegal crossings, has
decreased."
"We
started from a very low base last year, but we need everything to stop the
ships. "
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