More than 4,600 migrants have reached England via the Channel illegally on board boats since January 1. This number is a record for the first three months of the year despite promises from the Conservative government to put an end to these dangerous crossings.
On Tuesday alone, 338 people reached the English coast in these boats, most often inflatable boats loaded with dozens of passengers. Seven migrants have died at sea and on a canal while trying to reach England since the start of 2014. The last record was set in 2022 with 4,548 crossings between the beginning of January and the end of March.