Facts

Rishi Sunak posted a graphic on his twitter, which the Conservative Party then re-tweeted, proclaiming the news, “We’re stopping the boats”. 

In 2022, a record total of 45,755 migrants crossed the Channel, the highest number since figures began to be collected in 2018.

As at  9 July 2023, 12,722 had crossed in 2023. That figure includes 3,824 in June, the highest number for any June on record.

Verdict

The figures do show that the Sunak government has slowed down the rate of arrivals of migrants into the UK during 2023. However, Sunak was misleading Twitter followers when he said that he was “stopping the boats”. He is not stopping the boats. He would have been on firmer ground if he had simply said that the rate of arrivals had slowed. 

We emailed Rishi Sunak’s office and Number 10 offering him the chance to respond. The email was received, but no reply.