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Nearly 400 migrants crossed English Channel in small boats on hottest day of year
The crossing was the first in nearly two weeks and brought this month’s total to more than 1,000 arrivals, officials said.
- On Friday, 394 migrants crossed the English Channel in six vessels, marking the first arrivals in nearly two weeks as temperatures reached 28.4C, the hottest day of the year.
- A break in poor weather created a launch window for smugglers; temperatures reaching 28.4C in Heathrow, Cambridge, and Cranwell facilitated the crossing attempts after weeks of rough seas.
- Traffickers maximized the operational window by overloading vessels; current average passenger loads reached 64 per boat, drastically increasing capsizing risks in busy shipping lanes.
- Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood faces renewed pressure to adjust immigration policies; Marley Morris of the Institute for Public Policy Research said the government's progress "should prompt a more measured debate."
- The Office for National Statistics reports net migration fell 48% in the 12 months to December, indicating the recent spike remains a temporary fluctuation despite Friday's high arrival numbers.
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources10
Leaning Left3Leaning Right4Center1Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Right
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Right
50% Right
L 38%
12%
R 50%
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