LONDON: The number of migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the English Channel has topped 25,000 in record time.
Record numbers of people have made the journey in small boats so far this year as ministers have grappled with cracking down on people smuggling gangs.
Some 898 people made the journey in 13 boats on Wednesday, bringing the total for 2025 so far to 25,436, Home Office figures show.
This is up 51 per cent on this point last year (16,842) and 73 per cent higher than at this stage in 2023 (14,732), according to PA news agency analysis.
It is the earliest point in a calendar year at which the 25,000 mark has been passed since data on Channel crossings was first reported in 2018.
Last year the figure was passed on September 22, and in 2023 it was October 2.
The first year in which at least 25,000 arrivals were recorded was 2022, when the milestone was passed on August 27, and the total went on to hit a record 45,774 by the end of December. — dpa
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