Number of people crossing Channel in small boats this year passes 20,000

At the same point in 2021 there had been just 11,300, as campaigners say forcible removal is not acting as deterrent

More than 20,000 people have been detected crossing the Channel in small boats so far this year, government figures show.

Saturday marked the third time the total has topped 600 in a day since the start of 2022, with 607 people detecting crossing the Channel in 14 boats - the equivalent of about 43 people per vessel.