2023's Peak Day for Migrants Crossing English Channel to UK

author: FutureCar Staff    

Nearly 900 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats on Saturday, marking the highest number of arrivals in a single day this year. This surge comes in response to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's commitment to address the escalating numbers of people undertaking this perilous journey, as well as France's efforts to enhance security along the Calais coast.

According to the latest provisional government data, 872 individuals made the crossing on 15 small vessels, averaging about 58 people per boat. This brings the total number of arrivals for the year to 20,973 and puts the UK on track for an estimated 40,000 arrivals.

The Home Office has expressed concern over the "unacceptable number of people risking their lives" and the strain it places on the asylum system. In response, the government plans to implement the Illegal Migration Act, which will involve the detention and prompt removal of individuals who enter the UK illegally to their country of origin or a safe third country.

In August, official figures revealed that over 100,000 migrants had crossed the Channel on small boats from France to southeast England since 2018, when the UK began publicly recording arrivals. This route, which traverses one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, has proven to be treacherous, resulting in capsized boats and numerous migrant fatalities over the past decade.

France has implemented increased security measures, including additional patrols and a chain of buoys to impede migrants from reaching the English Channel. Frontex, the EU border agency, has deployed a plane equipped with infrared and thermal cameras to aid in tracking down migrants. Despite these efforts, people continue to set sail.

Although the total number of arrivals this year is still lower compared to the same period last year, when 25,000 individuals had already made the journey, the record high for a single day since 2018 is 1,295 on August 22, 2022. As of now, 1,172 people have made the journey this week, with crossings recorded on only two out of six days.

Figures for any crossings that occurred on Sunday will be published on Monday. The total number of arrivals last year was 45,774, slightly higher than the previously recorded 45,755, according to the latest available Home Office data. In August, the average number of migrants crossing the Channel per boat reached a new monthly high of 5,369 people using 102 boats, averaging around 53 migrants per vessel.

FutureCar Staff