FLASH
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More than 1,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel during a record-breaking spell of hot weather. The crossings were recorded for six consecutive days starting last Friday, as temperatures soared over the May Bank Holiday weekend.
According to Home Office figures, some 1,128 people arrived on British shores between Friday and Tuesday. The latest figures show 139 people made the perilous journey in two dinghies on Tuesday alone, bringing the total number of arrivals for the year to 8,704.
However, despite the recent increase, this figure represents a 36 percent decrease compared to the same period last year. There is also a 17 percent decrease compared to the number of arrivals in the same period in 2024.
The crossings coincided with record-breaking weather, with the Met Office confirming Tuesday was the hottest May day ever recorded in England and Wales. Temperatures reached 35.1 degrees Celsius at Kew Gardens, while 32.9 degrees was also recorded in Cardiff Bute Park.
The Met Office is predicting a few more days of sunny weather before temperatures drop after a heatwave that has gripped England and Wales. Warm conditions are expected to continue into the weekend in many parts of the UK, with cooler weather expected to return next week as the heatwave ends.
Meanwhile, several migrants who crossed the Channel over the festive weekend have already been charged with violating immigration laws, with some of them immediately receiving prison sentences.
The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that three men, from Turkey, Algeria and Albania, have been prosecuted for entering the UK without permission. Osman Yesil, 47, Tawfiq Boubazine, 33, and Elidjon Cota, 29, pleaded guilty at Folkestone Magistrates' Court and were each sentenced to eight months in prison.
Three other people, two from Sudan and one from Iran, have been charged with endangering life at sea. Jiechlat Buom, 25, Kueth Gatkuoth, 31, and Mehdi Najafi, 42, have been remanded in custody. All three are expected to appear at Canterbury Crown Court for a preliminary hearing in June.
According to the CPS, the charges were authorised “within hours” after prosecutors received evidence from law enforcement agencies. Sarah Dineley, CPS head of immigration crime, said:
"Many of these cases were filed within hours over this holiday weekend, allowing the defendants to appear in court just days after arriving in the UK.
CPS continues to work with international partners to disrupt and disrupt organized criminal groups responsible for small boat crossings.
"We will use the laws at our disposal to prosecute cases where there is sufficient evidence and when this is in the public interest," the official response states.
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