Rwanda will 'break' gangs...PM confident he can stop small boats

RISHI Sunak's remains confident he can "stop the boats" despite record arrivals so far this year.

- Sam Lister

Another 800 illegal migrants landed over the Easter weekend, after making the dangerous Channel crossing.

It takes the total number so far this year to 5,435 a 43% increase compared with the same time last year.

But Downing Street insisted the Prime Minister was still certain he could meet his pledge to end the crossings with his scheme to send some migrants to Rwanda a key part.

His spokeswoman said the 2024 increase was due to number of things.

These include criminal gangs changing tactics, the weather and French police "facing increasing violence and disruption" on the beaches.

She added: "We need to keep stepping up our efforts and adapting to the gangs who continually adapt their own tactics.

"But that's why, alongside continuing that work, we have to fundamentally break the business model, and that's what the Rwanda partnership will do."

Shadow Immigration Minister Stephen Kinnock said: "Over the Christmas break, they were quick to claim credit for the low number of crossings, so where are the Home Secretary and Prime Minister now, when we've seen almost 800 people arrive in small boats over the bank holiday weekend?