24,000 people cross channel in small boats so far this year

More than 24,000 people have crossed the English Channel to the UK since the start of the year, after 707 people made the crossing on Saturday.

Home Office figures show that 11 boats were intercepted on Saturday in the busiest day for a week.

It brings the total for the year so far to 24,335, which is up 1% on the number of people who made the crossing by this time last year, but 20% down on 2022.

Eight men died earlier this month with six people including a 10-month-old baby being taken to hospital after a boat with 53 migrants on board crashed into rocks off the coast of Ambleteuse in the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced this month that £75 million would be used to boost the number of border security officers amid the Government’s bid to crack down on people smugglers, using money redirected from the scrapped Rwanda deportation plan.

The cash will also pay for hidden cameras and better monitoring technology as the Home Office sets up its new Border Security Command, led by a former police chief, as it aims to speed up investigations and increase the likelihood of successful prosecutions.

Earlier this year, it was also announced that an extra 100 specialist investigators will be allocated to the National Crime Agency (NCA) as part of efforts to curb Channel crossings.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also said during a visit to Rome that he was “very interested” in Italy’s efforts to curb levels of irregular immigration.

The “dramatic reductions” in the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea into Italy is something the Government wants to understand, he added.

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