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The government has stopped publishing the number of migrants prevented from crossing the Channel in small boats, less than a week after “consultations with France”.
The Home Office provides daily updates on the number of migrants arriving in the UK, and over the weekend began publishing the number of migrants prevented from crossing into the US.
At the time, the ministry said the figures were “estimates” based on “operational snapshots collected by French authorities” and acknowledged they were “unverified” and likely to be wrong.
The department was criticized by aid workers for publishing “unreliable” and “misleading” figures about the number of migrants being prevented from traveling to the UK.
In an update late Wednesday night, the department announced it was suspending publication of statistics on prevention “until further notice.”
In an update, the government said it would continue to publish daily statistics on arrivals and “will provide updates on the publication of prevention data as soon as possible.”
Wednesday’s latest update showed a further 116 people had arrived by small boat in the previous day, taking the total number of arrivals so far this year to 8,790, an increase of 34% on the same period last year.
Before it was removed from the government’s website, prevention statistics suggested 1,048 people had been prevented from crossing the Channel since April 29.
A Home Office spokesperson previously said France had prevented 26,000 people from crossing in 2023, adding that the UK continued to “work closely with French police in the face of increasing violence and disorder on our beaches. We are working tirelessly to prevent these dangerous practices.” Illegal and unnecessary travel. ”
Additional coverage from the Press Association