Brexit caused small boats crisis in English Channel, report finds

Rishi Sunak should admit ‘main factor’ behind problem so he can fix it, says Durham University study

Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal is the primary factor in the crisis of small boat crossings in the English Channel, a new study has found.

The decision to leave the EU without a returns agreement in place has led to the “skyrocketing” number of dangerous crossings, according to the Durham University report.

Under a mechanism known as the Dublin Convention, the British government could previously ask fellow EU nations to take people back if they had passed through safe countries en route to the UK.