Nearly 1,000 migrants cross Channel into UK on same day as 4 killed

London: A record 973 migrants crossed the Channel on small boats on the same day in which four died while attempting the journey from France to Englan...

London: A record 973 migrants crossed the Channel on small boats on the same day in which four died while attempting the journey from France to England, UK Home Office figures showed Sunday.

The figure for Saturday is the highest single-day number of migrants making the cross-Channel journey this year, surpassing the previous high of 882 set on June 18.

On the same day, a two-year-old boy and three adults died after overloaded boats got into trouble during the dangerous crossing attempted by several thousand every year.

The tragedies bring the number of migrants killed attempting Channel crossings this year to 51, according to Jacques Billant, France's prefect for the Pas-de-Calais region.

Over 26,600 migrants have crossed the Channel on small boats in 2024 according to UK Home Office figures.