More than 270 people crossed the English Channel in 10 small boats on Thursday, Home Office confirms
More than 270 people crossed the English Channel in 10 small boats on Thursday, the Home Office confirmed.
Several young children were among the 271 migrants who were brought ashore in Dover by UK Border Force officers. French authorities also intercepted 75 people in three small boats, despite near-freezing temperatures on the Channel on Thursday.Thursday's figure is more than the entire total for January last year. More than 450 people have made the trip across the Channel in January so far.
Minister for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration, Tom Pursglove, said: "The government is reforming our approach to illegal entry to the UK and asylum by making the tough decisions to end the overt exploitation of our laws and its impact on UK taxpayers."Many migrants come from some of the poorest and most chaotic parts of the world, and many ask to claim asylum once they are picked up by the UK authorities.