LONDON 

More than 20,000 people have crossed the English Channel via small boats in attempts to enter the UK, setting a new record for this year. 

On Saturday, 607 people arrived on UK shores, setting a new record for asylum arrivals. Up to 60,000 people were expected to cross the English Channel in 2022, beating the record for 2021 which was half the figure.

Despite attempts by the Home Office in making the journey difficult for those seeking to enter the country, the number of people seeking this route has only increased, from 1,843 in 2019 to 28,526 in 2021.

The UK’s Border Force was instructed by Home Secretary Priti Patel to deploy tactics such as sonic weapons to track and deter small migrant boats as well as using coast guard boats to forcibly push back migrant boats.

In April, the government pushed forward a highly controversial plan that would see asylum seekers being sent on a one way trip to Rwanda.

The plan attracted criticism throughout the UK from opposition parties and human rights organizations as well as across the international community with the United Nations criticizing it.

The new asylum scheme has been confronted by legal action and the government’s first flight to Rwanda was cancelled by a last minute legal ruling in June.