More than 700 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats on Saturday

More than 700 migrants crossed the English Channel in 11 small boats yesterday, government figures show.

The total figure is up 1% on the number of people who had made the crossing by this time last year, but is 20% down on 2022.

Home Office data shows 707 people were detected coming across yesterday - one of the highest daily figures this year.

It follows three days where there were no crossings detected at all.

Saturday's figure is lower than the 801 migrants who arrived on the UK's shores in small boats on the same day the week before.

The highest number of arrivals in one day this year so far is 882 in 15 boats on 18 June.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.

"As we have seen with so many recent devastating tragedies in the Channel, the people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay. We will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice."

It comes after eight men died earlier this month with six people, including a 10-month-old baby, being taken to hospital after a boat with 53 migrants on board crashed into rocks off the coast of Ambleteuse in the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France.

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Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced this month that £75m would be used to boost the number of border security officers amid the government's bid to crack down on people smugglers, using money redirected from the scrapped Rwanda deportation plan.

The cash will also pay for hidden cameras and better monitoring technology as the Home Office sets up its new Border Security Command, led by a former police chief, as it aims to speed up investigations and increase the likelihood of successful prosecutions.

Earlier this year, it was also announced an extra 100 specialist investigators will be allocated to the National Crime Agency (NCA) as part of efforts to curb Channel crossings.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also said during a visit to Rome he was "very interested" in Italy's efforts to curb levels of irregular immigration.

The "dramatic reductions" in the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea into Italy is something the government wants to understand, he added.

(c) Sky News 2024: More than 700 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats on Saturday