The hottest weekend of the year saw records for UK ‘small boat’ arrivals smashed on the Kent coastline. By the evening of Saturday, June 21st it was clear that more than 1,000 migrants had crossed the channel in the last 48 hours.
According to a GB News headcount, Border Force vessels and lifeboats picked up almost 600 migrants on Saturday, just one day after 437 made the crossing in seven small boats. These informal figures are usually firmed up in an official Home Office release of the known figures a few days after arrival.
If 1,019 made the illegal crossing between Friday morning and Saturday night, it would bring the total for the year to around just under 18,400.50% more than the total number at this point in time last year.
This comes despite a high-profile promise from Labour prime minister Keir Starmer to ‘Smash the Gangs’ going as well as his hapless predecessor Rishi Sunak’s pledge to ‘Stop the Boats.’
