Almost 3,000 migrants crossed Channel this month

NEARLY 3,000 migrants have crossed the Channel this month taking the total for the year to date to nearly 23,000, almost treble the number for the whole of 2020.

The Home Office said 695 migrants in 22 boats had taken advantage of yesterday’s calmer seas using larger boats to reach the UK.

It means nearly 1,200 migrants have arrived in the UK in two days, following a daily record of 853 migrants who made the crossing in 25 boats on Wednesday of last week.

The total of nearly 3,000 in the first 10 days of November is nearly quadruple last year’s tally for the whole month, which was 791. It is understood Border Force chiefs had been planning for 2,000 in November.

One source said: “Officers have told [the] clandestine threat command repeatedly there is no basis for believing the surge in numbers would fall away over winter.

“The combination of low wave height today, better organisation from smugglers and larger boats means the crossing is more established as safe and successful,” the source added.

The Home Office confirmed yesterday that Border Force rescued or intercepted 504 migrants in the Channel on Tuesday and brought them to England.

The crossings took the total number of people making the perilous journey until Wednesday to 22,090, compared with 8,417 who arrived in 2020.

The surge is likely to intensify the backlash over the £54 million offered to the French authorities to stop the migrants leaving beaches in France through increased patrols.

Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, sanctioned the first instalment last week after being assured by her French counterpart, Gerald Darmanin, that they could hit a 100 per cent interception rate if they got all the cash.

A Government source said: “The French have serious questions to answer.”

It came as leaked documents suggested that Ms Patel is likely to lose a legal challenge if she implements her controversial “push back” policy for Channel migrants.

Government lawyers have told the Home Secretary that the odds of successfully defending a challenge in the courts against the lawfulness of plans to send vessels carrying people back to France is “less than 30 per cent”.