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Sky News understands that a record number of migrants crossed the English Channel yesterday.
More than 140 people are believed to have been brought ashore to Dover.
On Saturday, at least five ships and around 70 other migrants have been intercepted, the first at 4.30 a.m. The incidents are ongoing.
In February, 102 migrants, including seven children, were intercepted in the English Channel, the highest daily total at the time.
Border Force and Coast Guard officials in Britain and France have intercepted numerous crossing attempts in recent months, as migrants have repeatedly attempted to travel from destinations in Asia and Africa to Britain.
Both countries agreed to intensify efforts to try to stop the flow of migrants crossing the Canal in small boats.
Earlier this week, Home Secretary Priti Patel made a phone call with her French counterpart, Christophe Castaner, after the number of migrants arriving on the UK coast, or intercepted in UK territorial waters , will increase to around 1,200 this year.
A total of 1,900 migrants arrived in the UK in a small boat throughout 2019.
Sky News has been told that since the coronavirus The closure began on March 23, around 700 men, women and children were intercepted in small boats in British waters and on the beaches of the south coast.
The British government has repeatedly warned immigrants not to attempt to make the dangerous crossing by small boat. Last year, two migrants drowned in separate incidents.
But despite additional resources, on both sides of the Canal, the numbers attempting the crossing have continued to grow, helped by a sophisticated network of human trafficking, which continues to prosper despite dozens of arrests in various European countries.
“These people are fleeing terrifying situations in some of the most dangerous parts of the world. They are targeting the UK because they want to be safe,” said Clare Moseley, founder of the charity Care4Calais.
The English Channel is the world’s busiest shipping lane, with 500 to 600 boats passing through it every day.
