At least 482 migrants have made the perilous journey across the Channel in a single day — a new record — as the total for this year passed 10,000.
Those who made the trip in 21 small boats on Wednesday, which was confirmed by the Home Office, beat the previous daily high of 430 set on July 19.
Despite the dangers involved in the crossing and home secretary Priti Patel’s pledge to make the Channel route ‘unviable’, the number of crossings eclipsed 2020’s total last month and now stand at more than 10,200.
However, the UK continues to see far fewer boat arrivals and asylum claims than many of its European counterparts.
At least 50,989 people have arrived in Europe via the Mediterranean by land and sea so far this year, according to the UN Commissioner for Refugees.
At least 1,016 people are estimated to be dead or missing.
Bella Sankey, director of charity Detention Action, said: ‘Overall asylum applications are dropping and much lower than they were in the 2000s.
‘But the number of high Channel crossings shows that desperate people trying to save their lives will risk everything to reach safety.
‘MPs need to act swiftly and should pass legislation to allow those with strong prospects of receiving protection here safe passage to the UK from northern France to seek asylum here.’
Dan O’Mahoney, Clandestine Channel Threat Commander for the Home Office, said ‘criminal gangs are putting lives at risk’ by facilitating the crossings.
He claimed the government’s controversial New Plan for Immigration is the ‘only credible long term plan to fix the broken asylum system’.
Last month, Ms Patel announced a deal to more than double the number of police patrolling French beaches, with the UK giving France £54million.
This week she met Greek government officials to discuss ‘shared challenges on illegal migration’.
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