More than 900 migrants cross Channel in one day

More than 900 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats on Friday, government figures have shown.

The Home Office said 919 people made the journey in 14 boats, pushing the total for the year to just over 16,000.

This is 42% higher than the same point last year and 79% up on the same date in 2023.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said: "We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security."

Friday's total was not the highest daily number so far this year, which came on 31 May, when 1,195 people arrived.

Almost 37,000 people made the dangerous trip last year, Home Office figures show.

The highest recent figures were for 2022, when 45,755 people arrived.

The English Channel is one of the most dangerous and busiest shipping lanes in the world.

Many migrants come from some of the poorest and most chaotic parts of the world, and many ask to claim asylum once they are picked up by the UK authorities.

The Home Office spokesperson added: "The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die as long as they pay, and we will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice."