MORE than 20,000 migrants have arrived in small boats so far this year — more than a third of them since Labour took power last month.
The milestone figure was passed on Wednesday when 614 people crammed on to ten boats were intercepted in the English Channel.
It was the second day in a row where more than 500 people crossed in overloaded dinghies, with 3,530 alone coming so far during fair weather in August.
A total of 20,433 people in 390 boats have now been picked up so far this year, according to the Home Office. And 6,859 have arrived since Sir Keir Starmer came into office on July 5.
The total is similar to last year’s — when 19,801 people had crossed the Channel at this point — and down by a fifth on 2022.
Worryingly, the average number of people packed on to each vessel by smugglers has risen to above 60 this year as enforcement limits supplies of boats.
But it also means fatalities are more likely with cheaper materials used to build the vessels.
The summer surge came as the PM pledged to deepen cooperation with France during a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.
A Home Office spokesman said: “We all want to see an end to dangerous small boat crossings, which are undermining border security and putting lives at risk.
“The new Government is taking steps to boost our border security, setting up a new Border Security Command.”
Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly said that Labour were “doing less to tackle the boats” and “hoping to achieve more” than the previous Tory government.
He said: “They’ve scrapped our deterrent which makes us a magnet for people smugglers, small boats numbers are now spiralling out of control.
“Christmas has come early for the people smugglers with this Labour government; Keir Starmer has no plan and his meaningless words will never translate into action.”
