Channel arrivals this year hit 8000

NEARLY 8,000 people have arrived in the UK so far this year after crossing the English Channel in small boats following the latest arrivals by sea over the weekend.

A total of 167 people made the crossing in 13 boats on Saturday, according to figures from the Ministry of Defence.

These are the latest people to have been intercepted by British authorities after four days without any crossings, with Monday, May 9, seeing 51 people cross in two boats.

This brings the total for the year to 7,957.

The latest crossings come as the Home Office said it will begin the process of informing the first asylum seekers that they could be flown to Rwanda under its new resettlement scheme.

Flights to the African country are expected to begin in “the coming months”.

However, Tom Pursglove, Minister for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration, told the Home Affairs Committee that the scheme was a “new and untested policy” and could not point to what modelling was used to give the “evidence base” to implement it.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday 50 “illegal entrants” have been served notice and will be relocated under the deal signed by Home Secretary Priti Patel.