Downing Street has criticised the 'reckless' behaviour of people smugglers after a record 232 migrants crossed the Channel on Monday.
The 'mega dinghy', which arrived in Dover at 2.30am, broke the previous record set in July, when 165 people made the crossing on a single dinghy.
Dinghy overcrowded
A picture taken off the coast of northern France showed the 15m (49ft) long inflatable boat was so full that many passengers were dangling their legs in the water.
The boat was already carrying 50 people when it was seen heading towards a beach to pick up more passengers, according to French maritime officials.
The vessel, carrying 232 people, continued its journey, before two passengers requested assistance and were taken to Calais by a French Navy rescue ship.
Government response
The Prime Minister's official spokesperson said on Monday morning: "I think this is a reflection of the reckless and dangerous tactics employed by criminal gangs facilitating these crossings. They continue to put lives at risk by cramming ever greater numbers of people onto unseaworthy vessels."
Earlier this month, a dinghy carrying 173 people capsized after its engine caught fire as it attempted to cross the Channel from France.
Crossings down overall
The number of crossings overall has dropped compared with last year. The provisional total for the number who have made the crossing so far in 2026 is 15,242, which is down by 43pc, while the number of boats that have successfully crossed is down by 49 pc.
Last month, the Home Office recorded the lowest number of crossings in July since 2020.
Political reaction
A government spokesperson added: "We are making progress, with the number of small boat crossings down this year… But we must go further, which is why we have signed a payment-by-results deal with the French to put 40 percent more boots on the ground on French beaches."
However, shadow home secretary Chris Philp said French authorities should have stopped the dinghy on Monday, adding that Andy Burnham was 'out of touch'.
He said: "This is now beyond a joke. The French authorities could easily have stopped a vessel this size from embarking in shallow waters. I recently saw for myself French Gendarmes standing by and doing nothing while illegal immigrants boarded in knee-deep water. Shabana Mahmood is handing over £660 million of our money while this happens. It's a disgrace. Out of touch Andy Burnham claims there is no problem. There clearly is."
Mr Philp said the prime minister needed to adopt the Conservative Party's plan to leave the European Court of Human Rights.
Meanwhile, Nigel Farage said Monday's crossing was a sign of a 'national emergency'. The Reform UK leader said on X: "This is a record number in a single vessel. It's yet more proof that this illegal invasion is a national security emergency."
