LONDON 

As many as 703 people crossed the English Channel via 11 small boats on Sunday, the highest figure since the Labour Party came to power, according to the Home Office data on Monday.

The figures revealed by the Home Office show a total of 703 people were detected crossing the English Channel via 11 small boats which is the third-highest number this year.

According to the figures, some 1,172 migrants in 20 small boats in total arrived in the UK last week.

It is also the highest daily figure since the Labour Party won the general elections on July 4.

The highest number on a single day in 2024 was on June 18, when 882 people crossed the Channel, while 711 on May 1 became the second highest figure.

On Sunday, two people were found dead after a boat carrying migrants tried to cross the English Channel from near the French port of Calais to the UK.

More than 18,300 migrants have arrived in the UK via small boats this year, while nearly 30,000 people came to the UK this way last year.