Dozens of asylum seekers made the journey across the Channel in wet and windy conditions overnight.

Two small boats arrived in Dover at about midnight.

Border Force officials intercepted them and assisted in bringing 67 people ashore in the early hours of Christmas Day.

French authorities also intercepted one boat. It is not known how many were on board that vessel.

The Christmas crossings come after more than 1,100 asylum seekers made it to Kent in the space of just four days last week.

Today, the Archbishop of Canterbury called for compassion for refugees in his Christmas sermon at Canterbury Cathedral.

The Most Rev Justin Welby told how the story of Joseph and Mary searching for shelter demonstrates the need to treat those “who have far less than us, who have lived with the devastating limits of war and national tragedy – those who risk everything to arrive on the beaches” with compassion.

Since the start of the year, more than 27,000 people have reached the UK after navigating busy shipping lanes from France in small boats.

This is more than triple the total for the whole of 2020.

Minister for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration, Tom Pursglove, said people should not be trying to cross the Channel, and instead should be claiming asylum in the first safe country they reach.

He said the Government was reforming its approach to people crossing the Channel through the Nationality and Borders Bill.

“The Nationality and Borders Bill will make it a criminal offence to knowingly arrive in the UK illegally, and introduce life sentences for those who facilitate illegal entry into the country.

It will also strengthen the powers of Border Force to stop and redirect vessels, while introducing new powers to remove asylum seekers to have their claims processed outside the UK.”