(Forbes) Iranian and Iraqi nationals accounted for almost all the migrants intercepted while trying to cross the English Channel to enter the UK in the first three months of this year, according to statistics from the UK government.
In a written answer to parliament released on May 27, junior Home Office minister Chris Philp revealed that a total of 463 people were caught trying to make the perilous crossing in January, February and March. Of them, 266 came from Iran and a further 119 were from Iraq, meaning that between them these two countries accounted for 83% of all cases.
The English Channel is just 21 miles across at its narrowest point and is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, making any journey in a small boat extremely hazardous.
