Record Number of Illegal Migrants Cross the Channel to the UK in One Day on 17 Small Boats

A record number of illegal migrants crossing the English Channel on small boats in one day has been recorded in the UK in 2024. On 5 October, 17 boats filled with people arrived at the British shores. A total of 973 people arrived at them, The Sun reports.

‘A total of 973 migrants on 17 boats crossed the English Channel on Saturday - the highest daily number this year,’ the report said. 

The previous daily record for the year was set by the UK on 18 June, when 882 people arrived.

French authorities reported that four people died while trying to cross the English Channel on Saturday, including a two-year-old boy who was ‘trampled to death’ by illegal immigrants. Jacques Billan, the prefect of the Pas-de-Calais region, said the French coastguard responded to the accident of a boat carrying almost 90 people, which had an engine failure.