Record 230 people reach UK on single boat after crossing English Channel

The government has accused people smugglers of ‘cramming’ migrants onto ‘unseaworthy vessels’ and putting lives at risk.

A record 230 people on a single people smugglers’ boat have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel, as the government condemned what it described as the “reckless and dangerous tactics” used by trafficking gangs.

The boat left France late on Sunday and reached the English coast early on Monday after being intercepted by British authorities.

The number breaks the previous record set last month when 165 people successfully made the crossing.

People smugglers have been increasing the number of migrants crammed into boats.

A dinghy carrying 173 people headed for the UK capsized in the Channel after its engine caught fire earlier this month.

“This latest incident demonstrates the reckless and dangerous tactics employed by the criminal gangs facilitating these crossings, who continue to put lives at risk by cramming ever greater numbers of people onto unseaworthy vessels,” a Home Office spokesperson said.

“We are making progress, with the number of small boat crossings down this year and the lowest number recorded for the month of July since 2020.

“But we must go further, which is why we have signed a payment-by-results deal with the French to put 40 percent more boots on the ground on French beaches.”

Provisional figures show that 14,819 people have crossed the English Channel so far this year from France, a 43 percent decline compared with January to mid-July last year.