More than 700 migrants cross the English Channel into Britain in one day
Over 700 refugees crossed the English Channel from France to the UK in small boats in a single day - a new record since the inauguration of new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. On Sunday, 11 boats carrying a total of 703 people reached the English coast, according to figures from the UK's Home Office.
Limiting illegal migration was one of the key issues in the run-up to the UK's parliamentary elections, in which Starmer's left-leaning Labour Party secured a landslide victory in early July. Just days after taking office, the new Prime Minister scrapped a controversial deportation program introduced by the previous Conservative government to send migrants to Rwanda.
Instead, Starmer pledged to dismantle the people-smuggling networks that organize these dangerous crossings, charging thousands of euros for each refugee.
The latest crossings bring the total number of Channel crossings this year to 18,342, a 13% increase from the same period last year. So far this year, 25 people have died in attempted crossings.
The new record of over 700 refugees crossing the English Channel in a day has put pressure on the new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, to *strengthen his migration policies*. Despite scrapping the Rwanda deportation program, Starmer aims to tackle the issue by dismantling the networks that facilitate these dangerous new migrations.
