Over 2,300 migrants crossed English Channel by small boat this year

More than 2,300 migrants have crossed the Channel by small boat so far this year with 1,000 reaching the UK in the first two weeks of February alone amid calm weather

  • 2,313 migrants have crossed English Channel on just 52 small boats this year
  • More than 1,000 arrived in February alone as 105 arrived on 2 boats yesterday 

More than 2,300 migrants have crossed the Channel by small boat so far this year, according to official government figures.

A total of 2,313 asylum seekers have made the perilous journey across the 21-mile Dover Straits in 52 inflatable dinghies or other small craft – an average of 44 people per vessel.

More than 1,000 migrants arrived in the first two weeks of February alone as calmer weather conditions look set to kick-start an expected record intake of small boat crossings.

A total of 105 migrants in two boats were intercepted at sea by Border Force officials and brought into the harbour at Dover, Kent yesterday.

Migrants could be seen wearing life jackets as they were escorted off the Border Force vessels by guards amid thick fog and chilly conditions.

More than 2,300 migrants have crossed the Channel by small boat so far this year, according to official government figures

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, onboard a Border Force vessel, following a small boat incident in the Channel on January 25

More migrants made the treacherous journey across the Channel in the early hours of this morning, despite the foggy conditions at sea.

It was reported that at least two dinghies made the journey this morning with more small boat crossings expected, though the Home Office is yet to confirm this.

A total of 1,180 people crossed the Channel in January, with the busiest day being January 22 when 442 asylum seekers landed on British soil.

By comparison, some 1,339 made the journey in the first month of 2022.

A record 45,728 people arrived in the UK in 1,104 boats last year – dwarfing 2021’s total of 28,526.

And officials have predicted the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats could double this year – potentially reaching 80,000 in 2023.

A group of people thought to be migrants are lead through the immigration processing centre in Dover, Kent, after being intercepted by Border Force, following a small boat incident in the Channel on January 25

Border Force officials escort 50 migrants into Dover Docks, Kent on Sunday

A spokesperson for the Home Office said: ‘The unacceptable number of people risking their lives by making these dangerous crossings is placing an unprecedented strain on our asylum system.

‘Our priority is to stop this illegal trade, and our new Small Boats Operational Command – bolstered by hundreds of extra staff – is working alongside our French partners and other agencies to disrupt the people smugglers.

‘We are also going further by introducing legislation which will ensure that those people arriving in the UK illegally are detained and swiftly removed to another country.’

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