LONDON - The number of migrants who arrived illegally in Britain in small boats in 2023 was 29,437, provisional government figures showed, around 36% lower than the previous year.

The last arrival of the year was on Dec. 16, when 55 people were detected in one boat, according to the figures from the Home Office, the interior ministry.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made "stopping the boats" one of his top five priorities, and is seeking to revive a plan to send those who arrive illegally in Britain to Rwanda after it was blocked by the courts.

Concern over the levels of immigration was a major factor in the 2016 vote for Britain to leave the European Union. Polls show it remains one of the most important issues for voters ahead of an election expected this year.

In 2022 a record 45,775 people were detected arriving on small boats to England's southern beaches after making the dangerous journey across the Channel, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Alison Williams)