Europe News Desk!!! There has been a sharp rise in the number of Indians entering the UK illegally in the first three months of the year, making them the second largest group after Afghans. This information has been given in the latest figures of the Home Office. The new data showed that between January 1 and March 31, 2023, the most common nationality arriving via small boat was Afghan (909, 24 percent), followed by Indian (675, 18 percent). A total of 3,793 people were detected arriving in small boats over the same period, a Home Office statement said, adding that crossings are usually higher in fairer weather. In 2022, about half of the small boat arrivals were Albanian (28 percent of the total, although these arrivals mostly occurred between July and September 2022) and Afghan (20 percent, with their numbers increasing toward the end of the year).
The top five nationalities now illegally crossing the Channel in small boats include Afghanistan, India, Iran, Iraq and Syria. While the final figures are due to be published on May 25 this year, last month’s Home Office figures showed 683 Indians arriving in the country on small boats in 2022, compared to 67 in 2020. In February this year, Indians reportedly became the third largest group of migrants to illegally enter UK shores, The Times report quoted Home Office sources as saying. The report said that around 250 Indian migrants made the perilous crossing in small boats this year alone, which is higher than the 233 people who came through small boats in the first nine months of last year.
The Home Office had said that one reason for the rise in numbers could be Serbia’s visa-free travel rule for Indians. According to Home Office sources, until December last year, all Indian passport holders could enter Serbia without a visa for up to 30 days, but this arrangement expired on 1 January, resulting in some Indian small boats reaching the EU and then Traveling in UK. A Home Office source told The Times: “We have seen Indian nationals arriving in small boats over the last few months.
–IANS
SKK/ANM
World News Desk!!