More than 1,000 people cross English Channel in one day

More than 1,000 people crossed the English Channel in small boats on Friday as the government confirmed two more people had been returned to France.

According to the latest Home Office figures, 1,072 people in 13 boats made the journey to Dover.

It takes the number of people who have made the crossing so far in 2025 to 32,103, a record for this point in a year.

A total of three men have been sent back to France under a "one in, one out" deal with the UK intended to deter small boat crossings.

An Eritrean man and an Iranian man were deported on Friday after the first migrant, an Indian man, was removed from the UK on Thursday.

The government won a legal challenge to sanction the return of the Eritrean national.

Next week, the first asylum seekers are expected to arrive in the UK from France under the reciprocal aspect of the deal.

Ministers have praised the returns, with deputy prime minister David Lammy saying they provided an "immediate deterrent" to people seeking to cross the Channel.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp disputed this, claiming the deal offered "no deterrent effect whatsoever".

The numbers returned were "pathetic", he added.

The government said it intends to increase the number of people being sent back under the pilot deal over the coming months.