Channel crossings: Busiest day of the year so far sees 711 migrants arrive in UK
More than 700 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in a single day – a new record for the year so far (Gareth Fuller/PA)
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, jumping 34% on 2023 when 6,192 were recorded and 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.