Migrant crisis: More than 8,500 people have crossed English Channel this year
More than 8,500 small boat migrants have crossed the English Channel so far this year after more than 250 others made the illegal journey on Saturday.
GB News can reveal that another small boat crossed into UK waters on Sunday morning with at least 50 people on board, as weather conditions in the Channel improved over the weekend.
On Saturday, 255 people crossed from France in five small boats and were brought to the Border Force migrant processing centre at Dover Harbour.
Another 104 migrants in six small boats were prevented from crossing by the French police.
The latest arrivals take the total number crossing to the UK in the past seven days to more than 1,400.
That total includes the biggest single day of crossings so far this year when 711 migrants arrived in UK waters on 14 small boats on Wednesday.
The total for Wednesday would have been more than 1,000 but for the actions of French police, who prevented 10 small boats launching from their beaches, with 375 people on board.
Including today’s arrivals, the total number of small boat migrants who have crossed illegally from France so far this year has now reached 8,583.
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That figure is 35 per cent higher than the 6,280 who crossed at the same point last year.
Alarmingly for the Government, the current total effectively reverses the gains made in reducing small boat crossings by a third last year.
Ministers have blamed the increase in numbers so far this year on a surge in Vietnamese migrants being tempted to make the journey by criminal gangs.
Vietnam has now overtaken Afghanistan to become the biggest single nationality among Channel migrants this year.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The unacceptable number of people who continue to cross the Channel demonstrates exactly why we must get flights to Rwanda off the ground as soon as possible.
“We remain committed to building on the successes that saw arrivals drop by more than a third last year, including tougher legislation and agreements with international partners, in order to save lives and stop the boats.”
The Home Office said work with international partners had prevented 26,000 crossings last year and helped dismantle 82 organised criminal gangs since 2020.
Having successfully brought the new Rwanda bill into law, Ministers have said they are planning on the first migrant flights taking off for east Africa within the next 9 to 11 weeks.