More than 500 cross Channel as UK looks to Denmark

People were pictured in Dover on Sunday being brought ashore on a Border Force vessel

A total of 503 migrants have crossed the English Channel in one day as the government considers a major restructure of the UK's immigration rules modelled on Denmark's system.

The latest arrivals came in seven small boats on Saturday, with more vessels making the crossing from France to Dover on Sunday.

It brings the total for the past three days to 1,772 and 38,726 for 2025 so far.

The arrivals in the Kent port come after Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood sent officials to Denmark in October to study the country's border control and asylum policies, which are seen to be among the toughest in Europe.

The latest figures compare with 32,119 who made the journey by the same date in 2024 and 26,699 in 2023.

Mahmood is set to announce a major shake-up of the immigration and asylum system later this month.

She wants to reduce incentives for people seeking to enter the UK, while making it easier to remove those found to have no right to stay.

In September, the Home Office suspended new applications under the Refugee Family Reunion scheme, pending the drafting of new rules.

The tighter Danish rules on family reunions and restricting some refugees to a temporary stay are understood to be among the policies being looked at.

The home secretary is said to be impressed that Denmark has driven down its number of successful asylum claims to a 40-year low - with the exception of 2020, amid pandemic travel restrictions.

Mahmood pledged at the Labour Party conference in September to "do whatever it takes" to regain control of Britain's borders.

But some in her party are against going down the Danish route, with one left-wing Labour MP saying it was too "hardcore" and contained echoes of the far right.

Additional reporting by PA.