'Shameful milestone' ...crossings up on 2023

MORE migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats so far this year than in the whole of 2023 in what was called a "shameful milestone" for the Labour Government.

- Michael Knowles

On Thursday alone, 509 illegal migrants arrived, taking the provisional number for 2024 to 29,154.

Then yesterday's figure of around 300 pushed the total past the 29,437 who crossed last year.

It is also the deadliest year on record, with at least 56 fatalities.

Shadow Immigration Secretary Paul Holmes blamed Labour scrapping the Tories' Rwanda scheme.

He said: "Today's numbers mark a shameful milestone in the first few months of this Labour Government's catalogue of failures.

"Having done away with the deterrent the National Crime Agency said we needed, Labour bear the full responsibility for this complete failure to secure our borders. Labour have shown time and time again that they have no plan. They have officially opened the doors to people smugglers."