Controversy Over Reduction in Migrant Crossings Over Christmas

Home Secretary James Cleverly and Nigel Farage clash over whether government policies or bad weather led to the decrease in crossings.

Home Secretary James Cleverly claimed that no small boats crossed the UK channel over Christmas due to the government's policies, marking the first time this has happened since 2018.
Nigel Farage, former Brexit Party leader, criticized Cleverly's statement, attributing the lack of crossings to the stormy weather conditions rather than government intervention.
Home Office sources countered Farage's claims, pointing to data showing a reduction in crossings by a third this year, attributing this to government policies and not just weather conditions.
The reduction in crossings has been largely attributed to a 90% fall in the number of Albanians crossing the channel following a returns agreement, and increased patrols by France on the beaches following a £480 million deal between Rishi Sunak and Emmanuel Macron.
Despite the reduction in boat crossings, the number of crossings in 2023, near 30,000, is still considerably higher than every other year in modern British history, except for the peak in 2022.