Record number of migrants cross Channel to UK in single day this year

LONDON, June 19: More than 880 irregular migrants crossed the Channel to Britain on small boats on Tuesday, the UK government said, the highest number in a single day so far this year.

The arrivals come as political parties in Britain campaign for a general election on July 4 at which immigration is one of the major issues.

Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had pledged to "stop the boats" but faced obstacles to his plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The 882 people who made the crossing bring the total for 2024 to 12,313, according to Home Office provisional figures.

The figure for crossings so far this year is 18 percent higher than for the equivalent point last year, when the figure stood at 10,472.    —AFP