Home Office officials have given evidence to MPs that directly contradicts many characterisations of English Channel crossings made by ministers

The government has referred to "illegal migrants" but 98% of more than 5,000 people who have arrived so far in 2020 are asylum seekers

Officials said many originally come from countries experiencing war and persecution, including Syria, Iraq, Sudan, Yemen and Iran

The UK has granted protection to two thirds of asylum seekers whose applications have been considered so far

Almost three quarters were not considered because the UK believes another EU country is responsible for the applications under the Dublin regulation

It is trying to deport 1,000 people using the law, which will expire at the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December

There is currently no replacement for the Dublin regulation agreed, and the Home Affairs Committee heard that interntional law does not support the UK's position that “people should be claiming in the first safe country that they arrive in”

Priti Patel and others call crossing numbers "unacceptably high", but overall asylum applications have fallen dramatically during coronavirus

The number of asylum seekers arriving via small boats rose from 465 to 2,012 in Q1 and Q2, but other routes dropped from 8,455 to 4,850

The Home Affairs Committee was told that the UK only receives around 6% of all asylum applications made to EU countries, and the majority of refugees crossing the Med settle elsewhere

And it was told that there were no known landings where migrants have entered UK undetected

All figures and information in this thread is from Home Office and National Crime Agency officials giving evidence to the Home Affairs Committee today

https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/d7c84b79-fbe0-4f1d-b262-e5091f60c160