The British government announced on Tuesday that the number of migrants who crossed the English Channel from northern France to the UK in small boats on Monday set a new record.
According to the Ministry of Defense, about 1,295 people followed the crossing, which is more than the last record recorded in a day, and 1,185 migrants on November 11, 2021.
So far, 22,670 people have crossed this year, nearly double the number from the same period in 2021.
Last year, UK authorities intercepted and beached 28,526 people trying to cross the sea.
And it was a political inconvenience for the British government, which has promised better control of the borders after Brexit. It also escalated tensions between London and Paris, while the British government accuses France of not doing enough to stop the crossings.
To solve this problem, laws were tightened against gangs that smuggle people across crossings. But controversial plans to send some migrants to Rwanda for resettlement have faced a number of legal challenges.
The British government defended the policy as necessary given the high costs of processing asylum applications and finding housing for migrants.
Source: AFP.