More than 700 people arrive by small boats in a day

A total of 8,278 people have arrived in the UK by small boats this year

A total of 711 people were detected crossing the English Channel in small boats on Wednesday, the highest number on a single day so far this year.

Provisional figures from the Home Office show the total number of migrants arriving by small boats so far this year now stands at 8,278.

This is 34% higher than the total at the equivalent time last year, (6,192 people) and 19% higher than the total at this stage in 2022 (6,945 migrants).

Some 14 boats were detected on Wednesday, which suggests an average of about 51 people per boat.

A total of 29,437 migrants arrived on the Kent coast from France in small boats across the whole of 2023 - about a third fewer than the figure for the previous year.

Five people, including a seven-year-old girl, were killed in a crush on board a boat crossing the English Channel last week.

On Wednesday, it was reported that the first failed asylum seeker has gone to Rwanda under a voluntary removals programme which the government has said will deter future migrants from crossing the Channel.

• What is the UK's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda

• How many people cross the Channel in small boats and how many claim asylum in the UK?

• 'I could not protect her': A dad mourns his child killed in the Channel

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak vowed to "stop the boats" as one of five key pledges a year ago.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The unacceptable number of people who continue to cross the Channel demonstrates exactly why we must get flights to Rwanda off the ground as soon as possible".

They added that it continued to "work closely" with French police working to prevent "these dangerous, illegal and unnecessary journeys".