More than 1,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel during a heatwave, with temperatures reaching record highs for May. Home Office figures show 1,128 people made the journey between Friday and Tuesday, including 139 on Tuesday alone. This brings the total number of arrivals so far this year to 8,704, a 36% decrease compared to the same period last year and a 17% drop from 2024.
The arrivals occurred over six consecutive days as temperatures soared, with the Met Office recording the hottest May day on record for England and Wales on Tuesday. Kew Gardens provisionally reached 35.1C, while Cardiff Bute Park hit 32.9C. Photos showed migrants disembarking from a Border Security Command boat at Dover, Kent, wearing life vests and blankets.
In related legal developments, three migrants have been charged with endangering the lives of others during sea crossings over the weekend, while three others were convicted of arriving without entry clearance and jailed. Turkish national Osman Yesil, 47, and Algerian Tawfiq Boubazine, 33, pleaded guilty on Monday and were each sentenced to eight months in prison. Albanian Elidjon Cota, 29, also pleaded guilty on Tuesday and received the same sentence.
Sudanese nationals Jiechlat Buom, 25, and Kueth Gatkuoth, 31, were charged with endangering others after arriving on Saturday and will appear at Canterbury Crown Court on June 29. Iranian Mehdi Najafi, 42, accused of the same offence after arriving on Friday, will face a plea hearing on June 22.
Sarah Dineley, the Crown Prosecution Service lead on immigration crime, said many cases were charged within hours over the bank holiday weekend, ensuring defendants appeared in court within days. She emphasised the CPS's continued work with international partners to disrupt organised crime groups responsible for small-boat crossings, stating they will prosecute where sufficient evidence exists and it is in the public interest.
