nearly 1,000 migrants attempted to cross the Channel illegally on Saturday, a record in 2024

A record 973 migrants crossed the Channel on Saturday October 5 to reach the United Kingdom illegally on makeshift boats, according to figures published by the British Home Office. These 973 arrivals, which were announced on Sunday, bring to 26,612 the number of migrants who have reached English shores this year, mainly from France.

These crossings took place the same day that a 2-year-old child, a woman and two men were killed in two incidents off the French coast. The previous record dates from last June, with more than 882 crossings. A series of shipwrecks made 2024 the deadliest year since the phenomenon of crossings aboard makeshift inflatable boats (called small boats), in response to the increasingly strong locking of access to the Channel Tunnel and the port of Calais.

Elected in July, the British government of Labor Keir Starmer promised to tackle illegal immigration by increasing the number of expulsions of migrants and fighting against smugglers. According to the British authorities, makeshift boats are increasingly loaded, with 52 passengers on average, compared to only 13 in 2020.