The boat left France late on Sunday and reached the English coast early on Monday after being intercepted by British authorities.
Arecord 230 migrants have arrived in the United Kingdom on a single boat after crossing the English Channel from France, with the government condemning what it described as the “reckless and dangerous tactics” used by people-smuggling gangs.
The boat left France late on Sunday and reached the English coast early on Monday after being intercepted by British authorities.
The number of people on the boat breaks the previous record of 165 migrants, which was set last month.
The government said people smugglers were increasingly cramming migrants onto boats, putting their lives at risk.
Earlier this month, a dinghy carrying 173 people bound for the UK capsized in the English Channel after its engine caught fire.
“This latest incident demonstrates the reckless and dangerous tactics employed by the criminal gangs facilitating these crossings, who continue to put lives at risk by cramming ever greater numbers of people onto unseaworthy vessels,” a Home Office spokesperson said.
“We are making progress, with the number of small boat crossings down this year and the lowest number recorded for the month of July since 2020.
“But we must go further, which is why we have signed a payment-by-results deal with the French to put 40 percent more boots on the ground on French beaches.”
Provisional figures show that 14,819 people have crossed the English Channel from France so far this year, a 43 percent decline compared with the same period last year.
