1,425 migrants arrived in UK on small boats over weekend, official data shows

Migrants arrive at Dover Port after being picked up by a Border Force vessel in the English Channel in Dover, England on September 21, 2024 [Dan Kitwood/Getty Images]

As many as 1,424 people crossed the English Channel via 24 small boats over the last weekend, bringing the total crossings this year to 25,052, according to the Home Office data.

The latest figures released yesterday showed a total of 707 people were detected crossing the English Channel via 11 small boats on Saturday.

On Sunday, 717 migrants arrived in the UK via 13 boats, which is the second-highest number this year.

It is also the highest daily figure since the Labour Party won the general elections on 4 July.

The highest number on a single day in 2024 was on 18 June, when 882 people crossed the Channel.

So far, more than 25,000 migrants have arrived in the UK via small boats this year, while nearly 30,000 people came to the UK this way last year, according to official data.

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