Channel Migrants: More than 1,300 people cross in January

More than 1,300 migrants crossed the English Channel in January 2024

More migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats last month than they did in January 2023.

The Home Office said 1,335 arrived since the start of 2024 - more than the 1,180 who arrived in January last year.

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

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

The Government has also pledged to crack down on people smuggling gangs.

The largest number of arrivals over the last month was on 17 January, when 358 people were brought to Dover.

A total of 358 migrants arrived at Dover on 17 January

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Our priority is to stop the boats, which is why we have taken robust action to crackdown on vile people smuggling gangs, deter migrants from making dangerous crossings and, alongside our French counterparts, intercept vessels.

"This relentless action reduced crossings by 36% last year, which saw similar weather conditions to 2022, and more than 26,000 attempts were prevented."

• Rishi Sunak says there's no target date to stop small boats

• What does Rishi Sunak's promise to stop the boats mean?

• Rishi Sunak's claims on small boats fact checked

The UK government is pushing ahead with a plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda, despite the Supreme Court ruling that the policy is unlawful.

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 English Channel is one of the most dangerous and busiest shipping lanes in the world, with 600 tankers and 200 ferries passing through it every day.

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