Migrant crossings for June hit highest since records began five years ago

The number of migrants making the journey to the UK in small boats last month hit its highest since records began five years ago.

In the first six months of 2023, 11,424 people were detected making the perilous journey across the Channel to Dover, Kent, from France, according to provisional government figures.

The figures include 115 migrants who arrived in three boats last Friday, taking the total in June alone to 3,824. It's the highest total for June since records began five years ago.

In June last year, 3,140 migrants arrived in the UK having crossed the Channel. In 2021, 2,177 were detected, while there were 727 in 220 and 163 in 2019.

And in June 2018, just four people made the crossing.

The highest daily total of crossings for the year so far was also made last month on June 11, when 549 people were recorded as having made the journey.

Despite the flurry of crossings throughout the month, the total for the first half of the year is still 10 per cent lower than this time last year, when the figure stood at 12,747.

It comes almost six months after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak vowed his government would 'stop the boats' by passing new laws to put an end to Channel crossings as he made his five flagship pledges in office.