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More than 14,000 migrants have arrived in the UK so far this year

 

More than 14,000 migrants have arrived in the UK so far this year after another 419 made the journey in six boats on Tuesday. 

Groups of people were seen being escorted from Border Force boats and lifeboats wearing life jackets, with some wrapped in blankets.

Home Office figures showed an average of around 70 people per boat successfully made the crossing Tuesday - taking the provisional total for 2024 to date to 14,058.

This is 10 per cent higher than the number recorded this time last year (12,772) and up 6 per cent on the same period in 2022 (13,318), according to PA news agency analysis of Government data.

The latest crossings mean 484 migrants arrivals have been recorded over two days of activity in the Channel since Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister in the wake of Labour’s election victory last week.

But windy conditions in the Channel on Wednesday is thought to have prevented crossings being attempted for a third day in a row.

Last year, 29,437 migrants arrived in the UK after making the journey, down 36 per cent on a record 45,774 in 2022.

Prior to this week, it had been over a week since any migrants arrived, with poor weather conditions making it difficult for people smugglers to launch boats from French beaches.

So far in July, there have been 569 people in nine boats, this is down significantly on June, with 799 people arriving in 15 boats by the same point last month.

 


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