Nine boats carrying 537 people intercepted crossing English Channel

Nine boats have been intercepted carrying a total of 537 migrants crossing the English Channel, according to the latest Home Office figures. The crossings on Saturday bring the total for the year to 24,830, which is down on last year’s figures which by this time in 2022 had reached 33,001.

But the numbers are still up on 2021, when 17,085 had made the dangerous crossing by September 30, and it was 7,000 by the same point in 2020.