London [UK], July 13: More than 350 migrants crossed the English Channel on Friday, the latest Home Office figures.
The crossings came one day after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a deal with French President Emmanuel Macron aimed at deterring migrants from making the perilous journey.
According to the Home Office, some 353 people made the trip across the channel by small boat on Friday.
This was down from the 573 people who crossed on Thursday, the first time any such journeys were made in a week.
More crossings were witnessed on Saturday, but the full figures are yet to be published.
Border force vessels and the RNLI were called out on both Thursday and Friday to reports of multiple boats crossing the channel, the Coastguard said.
A statement from the Coastguard said: "HM Coastguard has been co-ordinating a response to multiple incidents involving small boats in the Channel on 10 and 11 July.
UK Border Force and RNLI vessels have been sent as part of this response."
Under the terms of the deal agreed by the prime minister and Macron, the UK will for the first time be able to send migrants back to France in exchange for asylum seekers with links to Britain.
The so-called one in, one out deal is due to begin in weeks on a pilot basis, but needs final legal verification from the EU.
Downing Street has indicated ministers expect the EU to support the arrangement, amid concerns among some European governments that migrants who have travelled to Britain could end up back on their territory.
No details have been given about how many people will be covered by the pilot, but French officials had indicated it could initially be limited to about 50 a week, a small fraction of the weekly average this year of 782.
At least 21,000 people have already made the journey since January, putting 2025 on course to be a record year for crossings.
Source: Qatar Tribune
