Hundreds of migrants cross Channel in one day after 10-day lull

Nearly 500 migrants arrived in the UK in a single day as the first boats successfully crossed the Channel in 10 days. Seven vessels made landfall, with 494 people taken into the Border Security Command compound in Dover, Kent, after dinghies reached British waters late on Thursday. The crossings resumed after the last successful arrivals on 17 August, when 250 people came over. Overall, official-data analysis cited by Press Association shows totals down this year: 16,391 crossings so far, down 43% versus the same point last year and down 17% from the comparable stage in 2024. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said enforcement on French beaches has been boosted and new legislation introduced to tackle “pull factors.”