Two-thirds of UK asylum seekers arriving by small boat after crossing the Channel were suffering from hypothermia, according to Home Office data obtained by the Guardian, while hundreds had burns or suspected broken bones.
Priti Patel, the home secretary, has repeatedly condemned the new arrivals, who crossed in record numbers last year, urging them to remain in other European countries. Those fleeing persecution say they have no other choice but to undertake the hours-long journeys in dinghies because there are no alternative “safe and legal routes”.
