More than half have been trafficked to the UK in the past 18 months
The number of migrants crossing the English Channel on small boats has hit 100,000 since they first reached British shores five years ago.
About 600 migrants travelling in at least 11 boats are believed to have arrived on Thursday as people smugglers took advantage of clear skies and calmer seas after four days of rain and high winds scuppered crossings.
It takes the total since the first migrants crossed the Channel in 2018 to nearly 100,600. Until yesterday 99,960 migrants had made the journey with 60,000 of them arriving in the past 18 months.
The crossings bring the total so far this year to more than 15,000, compared with a record 45,755 last year. The numbers this year have been down by about 14 per cent on last year, which has been partly attributed to the bad weather earlier in the year and in July – a key month.