Channel crossings: Busiest day of the year so far sees 711 migrants arrive in UK

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover Credit: PA Wire/PA Images

More than 700 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in a single day – a new record for the year so far.

The Home Office said 711 people made the journey in 14 boats on Wednesday, suggesting an average of 51 people per boat.

It takes the provisional total for the number of arrivals this year so far to 8,278.

Channel crossings had already hit a new record high for the first four months of a calendar year, and the latest figures show they have now jumped 34% on 2023 when 6,192 were recorded and are up 19% on the total at this stage in 2022 (6,945).

Last year 29,437 migrants arrived in the UK, down 36% on a record 45,774 arrivals in 2022.

Since the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act became law after receiving Royal Assent on Thursday last week, 1,611 migrants have made the journey in 32 boats.

The figures come as the National Crime Agency (NCA) said a third man had been charged with an immigration offence after five migrants died trying to cross the Channel last week and was due to appear in court.

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