Almost 500 migrants arrive in the United Kingdom in nine boats through the English Channel

MADRID 14 Oct. () –

Almost 500 migrants have crossed the English Channel and arrived in the United Kingdom in a single day, just a week after four people, including a child, died during a journey through this migratory route.

The British Home Office has indicated that a total of 471 people arrived in its territory on Saturday in nine small boats, while the previous day 142 people arrived in two boats, according to the weekly registry published on its website.

A spokesperson for the ministerial portfolio has assured that London is “advancing” and “reinforcing” its staff. “We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.

“As we have seen in so many recent devastating tragedies in the canal, smuggling gangs don’t care whether the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay. We will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and take them before justice,” he said.

The latest arrivals bring the total so far for 2024 to 27,225, which is a 5 per cent increase on the same period last year (25,931 arrivals), but 25 per cent less than in 2022 (36,491 arrivals).