Small boat arrivals top 800 at start of May
2 hours ago
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Bob Dale
South East
PA Media
The government says it has signed a deal with France to boost enforcement action on French beaches
More than 800 people crossed the English Channel in small boats in the first three days of May, according to government figures.
The Home Office said 55 were brought to Dover on Friday, 325 on Saturday and 422 on Sunday.
It means 7,218 migrants have arrived by small boat so far this year. In the corresponding period of 2025, the number of people who had made the crossing was 11,516.
On Sunday
two women died trying to cross the Channel
.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "This government is bearing down on small boat crossings.
"The home secretary has signed a landmark new deal with France to boost enforcement action on beaches and put people smugglers behind bars.
The spokesperson said: "This builds on joint work that has stopped over 42,000 illegal migrants attempting to cross the channel since the election.
"We have removed or deported almost 60,000 people who were here illegally and are going further to remove the incentives that draw illegal migrants to this country."
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