A further 475 migrants crossed the English Channel in 15 small boats on Thursday, following a record 482 arrivals on Wednesday, bringing the two-day total to over 1,000. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that an exercise at its Hythe firing range was halted on Wednesday after migrants landed on the beach there.
Home Office figures show that so far in 2021, 10,711 migrants have arrived in more than 440 boats. French authorities stopped 138 people on Thursday, the Home Office said. The previous highest daily totals were 416 on 2 September 2020 and 430 on 19 July.
Dan O'Mahoney, clandestine Channel threat commander, said: 'These dangerous small boat crossings, facilitated by criminal gangs, are putting lives at risk. These numbers are unacceptable, that's why we are taking action on all fronts.' He added that law enforcement agencies are dismantling people smuggling gangs, and joint work with France has seen a doubling of police officers on French beaches.
Bella Sankey, director of charity Detention Action, said: 'Overall asylum applications are dropping and much lower than they were in the 2000s, but the number of high Channel crossings shows that desperate people trying to save their lives will risk everything to reach safety.' She urged MPs to pass legislation allowing safe passage for those with strong asylum prospects.
Despite promises from Home Secretary Priti Patel to make the route 'unviable', crossings continue to rise. Last month, the UK agreed to give France £54m to more than double police patrols on French beaches. Earlier this week, Patel met Greek officials to discuss shared challenges and observed Hellenic coastguard methods for preventing small boat crossings.
Steve Valdez-Symonds of Amnesty International UK said: 'The reason people are putting themselves in serious danger with these Channel crossings is that there are simply no safe alternatives open to them.' He criticised politicians for 'peddling myths and stoking hostility' toward vulnerable people. In June, Kent County Council said it would no longer accept unaccompanied asylum-seeking children arriving by small boat, citing capacity limits.
