Almost 1,000 migrants cross Channel over bank holiday

Almost 1,000 migrants crossed the English Channel implicit the slope vacation weekend, the latest Home Office figures show.

A full of 989 radical arrived successful the UK successful 14 boats betwixt Friday and Monday, aft astir a fortnight without immoderate crossings.

It means that much than 1 successful 10 radical who person entered the state from mainland Europe truthful acold this twelvemonth arrived during the slope vacation weekend.

A full of 8,565 radical person crossed the Channel truthful acold successful 2026, which is 37% little than astatine the aforesaid constituent past year.

Crossings are much communal during warmer upwind periods, with the highest mean monthly totals typically successful August and September.

The English Channel is 1 of the astir unsafe and busiest shipping lanes successful the world.

The fig of radical taking the way each twelvemonth peaked successful 2022, erstwhile much than 45,000 radical made the journey.

The Home Office has been approached for comment.

In April, the UK and France confirmed a caller £662m woody to halt migrants from crossing the Channel.

It volition impact France deploying millions of pounds worthy of drones, 2 helicopters and a camera strategy to intercept radical smugglers and amerciable migrants.