A dinghy with 98 migrants set a new record for the largest number of people in a single boat attempting to cross the channel.
It was intercepted by Border Force when it reached the midpoint, and the migrants were rescued by RNLI and the coastguard.
The boat, which was the same size as those usually used to transport a maximum of 60 migrants, was dangerously overpacked.
There have been growing concerns over the desperate and inhumane tactics of people-smugglers, who have been packing more migrants into flimsy, inadequate boats after a crackdown on their supply of dinghies.
98 migrants were rescued from a boat attempting to cross the channel (Stock Image)
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At the same time, the crammed boats can also be due to migrants who fight their way onto the vessel without paying smugglers for the journey.
This overcrowding has led to increasing deaths at sea, not only due to drowning, but also by being crushed by others during panic or due to the boat capsizing.
Oftentimes, women and children face the most danger, as they are the ones crowded in the centre of the boat, which has no solid bottom and can be prone to caving in.
This new record came as Sir Keir Starmer commended the arrest of a Turkish man suspected of being a key figure in the supplying of small boats.
The man in his 40’s is under suspicion for shipping dinghies and engines from Turkey and storing them in Germany before being moved to France for crossings.
The suspect was arrested in Amsterdam this week after an investigation by the UK National Crime Agency and the Dutch and Belgian authorities. The man is facing extradition to Belgium over people-smuggling charges.
This arrest is part of a larger move by Labour to destroy people-smuggling gangs through international co-operation, after the decision to scrap the Conservative’s controversial Rwanda scheme.
Speaking after news of the arrest, the Prime Minister said: “I want to thank the UK NCA, along with their Dutch and Belgian counterparts, for all their hard work and their crucial role in this investigation.”
Sir Keir Starmer commended the arrest of the Turkish people-smuggler
PA
“It’s exactly what we want to see and it shows that our approach of working with international partners to smash the people smuggling gangs is bearing fruit.”
He added that although this was an important achievement, there are other steps that are necessary.
Meanwhile, former immigration minister Robert Jenrick lashed out at Starmer on twitter writing: “One arrest isn’t going to stop the boats. Stop trying to con the public your ‘plan’ is working. Small boats arrivals are already up on your watch.”
Almost 33 thousand migrants have crossed the Channel this year, up 20 per cent from last year.
