More than 800 migrants intercepted in English Channel in new daily record

A record 828 people attempted to cross the Channel to the UK on Saturday (August 21), according to figures from the Home Office.

The previous record for a single day was 592 on August 12.

Footage captured a boat, containing around 25 people, landing on Stone Bay in Broadstairs on Saturday.

UK authorities were involved in 30 crossing events, including rescues, on Saturday.

However, there were no arrivals on Sunday (August 22) or Monday (August 23).

French authorities intercepted 10 crossings on Saturday, preventing 193 people from reaching the UK.

Dan O’Mahoney, Clandestine Channel Threat Commander, said: "These dangerous crossings from safe EU countries are completely unnecessary and we are determined to take down the evil criminal gangs behind them.

"We’re working across Government as well as with French and International partners to tackle this issue.

"We have doubled the number of police officers on French beaches, prevented more than 10,000 attempts, secured nearly 300 arrests and 65 prosecutions.

"The Government’s New Plan for Immigration will fix the broken asylum system so it can no longer be exploited in this way."

The Home Office has made almost 300 arrests relating to small boat criminality since July 2020.

It has also secured more than 65 small boat related prosecutions since the start of 2020 totalling more than 53 years in custodial sentences.