Migrants arrive in UK after crossing English Channel

Migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel as more than 600 people made the journey so far this month, the latest figures show.

Pictures show people wearing life jackets coming ashore in Dover, Kent, from a Border Force boat.

The French coastguard said it was monitoring activity in the Channel amid the good weather conditions on Tuesday.

A spokesman for the UK coastguard added that it was also monitoring and responding to “small boat activity” in the Channel and Border Force vessels have been sent.

Some 611 people have arrived so far in November, with crossings recorded by the Home Office over three days.

According to the latest figures published by the Government department, 178 people arrived in three boats on Monday.

More than 5,400 people made the journey in October, making it the busiest month of the year so far.

The provisional total for the year so far is 31,272, which is up 17% on this time last year (26,699) but down 22% on 2022 (39,929), which was a record high year for crossings.

It comes as Sir Keir Starmer said the Government will “treat people smugglers like terrorists” as he announced a further £75 million for his border security command on Monday.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper meanwhile would not commit to specific targets or a timeframe for getting small boat crossings down, but said that the Government will “try and make progress as rapidly as possible”.