Channel crossings top 1,000 over two days

More than 1,000 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in two days, taking the provisional total for the year so far to over 12,500.

A total of 384 people were detected on Saturday and 686 on Friday – the new highest daily total this year, according to Home Office figures.

It means 1,070 migrants crossed the Channel over two days, in 13 boats on Friday and in seven boats on Saturday, taking the provisional total for the year so far to 12,503.

The number of people who made the crossing last year reached a record 45,755, prompting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to make “stopping the boats” a key priority.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been battling to get her central policy of forcibly removing unauthorised arrivals to Rwanda off the ground after it was blocked by appeal judges.

The Government has lodged a bid to take its legal battle to the Supreme Court.

Treasury minister Victoria Atkins insisted the Government was focused on the “fundamentals” of looking after children, after being repeatedly asked whether reports that immigration minister Robert Jenrick had cartoon murals at an asylum centre painted over made her feel uncomfortable.

Ms Atkins told the Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme on Sky News: “I think we have got to focus on the fundamentals here. If there are children arriving in the United Kingdom via small boats, then as soon as they land in the UK they are looked after properly.

“The local authorities step in, they have their welfare, their health needs and their schooling needs looked after. That is the fundamentals.

“But we also have to stop people from being enticed by criminal gangs to cross the Channel, because that journey in itself is such a dangerous journey.

“It must be terrifying for children who come across and so that is why we are so focused on stopping the boats.”