The UK government announced plans to intensify efforts against migrants crossing the Channel after recording over 700 arrivals in a single day, setting a new high for this year. On Wednesday, 781 people crossed via ten boats, averaging about 78 individuals per boat. Despite a 42% decrease from last year’s figures at this time (32,188), the government acknowledges ongoing challenges and emphasizes the need to address undetected landings along the entire south coast rather than just the Dover Strait area.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-24,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
The Government said it must “push further and harder” to stop migrants crossing the Channel after more than 700 people arrived in the UK on Wednesday – the highest number for a single day so far this year.
asserted
people → say → day
It comes after a Cabinet minister said not every migrant boat can be intercepted in the wake of two vessels landing undetected on British shores within two days.
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boat → come → days
Meanwhile Lucy Moreton, from the ISU union which represents Border Force officers, told the Press Association migrant boats were “definitely” arriving on British shores completely undetected, with reports of beach landings “all the way down to Falmouth” but the scale of the problem was not known.
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scale → represent → problem
Officials were also now looking for sites in Hampshire to house another Dover-style reception centre in a bid to make it easier and quicker to bring migrants ashore to process once they had been intercepted at sea, she said.
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she → look → sea
Speaking to PA, former Border Force boss Tony Smith said beach landings were a “big worry” and suggested the whole of the south coast should be monitored for migrant crossings, not just the narrowest section of the Channel, the Dover Strait.
uncertain
whole → speak → Channel
The Home Office recorded 781 arrivals in 10 boats on Wednesday, suggesting an average of 78 people per boat.
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Office → record → boat
The Government said its progress this year in tackling crossings was “indisputable” with crossings the lowest recorded over the summer months since 2020.
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progress → say → 2020
“But this week’s events show that while the peaks we are seeing are far below those of previous years, we need to push further and harder in order to eradicate this vile trade,” a spokeswoman added.
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spokeswoman → show → trade
Wednesday’s arrivals take the provisional total for Channel crossings for the year so far to 18,565.
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arrivals → take → 18,565
Earlier, Education Secretary Lucy Powell said “(you) can’t stop everything all of the time”, the day after 21 people were detained when a boat evaded Border Force to reach the beach of Samphire Hoe in Dover.
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boat → say → Dover
It was the second undetected landing in two days, following a dinghy making it to shore at Folkestone on Monday morning.
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It → follow → morning
Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme if the situation was embarrassing for the Government, Ms Powell said: “(You) can’t stop everything all of the time.
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You → ask → time
“Of course, it’s a concern.
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it → ’ → ?
That’s why the Home Secretary has demanded and ordered this urgent review, because this is not what we want to see.
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we → ’ → what
“But the overall picture is an improving picture.
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picture → improve → ?
It is hard, difficult work that requires constant, constant effort by our border forces, our security services, police, our partnerships with France and other countries.
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that → require → France
“This is a mammoth and huge task, which is now starting to reap some dividends.
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which → start → dividends
But of course, you know where there are still issues arising, we must absolutely tackle them.”
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we → know → them
Pressed on Good Morning Britain whether she stood by her statement, Ms Powell said: “I think you’re just taking that completely out of context.
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you → press → context
“We are clamping down on small boat crossings every single day…
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We → clamp → crossings
we are sucking the oxygen out of it, we are taking steps, and there are many, many steps.
“
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we → suck → steps
It’s not an easy thing to do to just turn on a switch, turn off a switch overnight.
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It → ’ → switch
We have to constantly evolve.”
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We → have → ?
Most of the thousands of migrants crossing the Channel are brought to shore by Border Security Command and a small proportion by RNLI boats.
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Most → cross → boats
According to the Home Office, before Monday no Channel crossings without an escort had been officially recorded since September 6 2025.
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crossings → accord → September
Uncontrolled landings are so rare that last year’s incident was the only other one logged by the department since Government records began in 2023.
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records → log → 2023
It will come as a blow to Border Security Command leaders, which previously suggested they were a thing of the past thanks to new surveillance technology and improved resources.
uncertain
they → come → technology
Asked if Border Force staff suspect there have been more beach landings within the last year which were completely undetected, Ms Moreton said: “Absolutely, yes.”
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Moreton → ask → year
Ms Mahmood said “even one” uncontrolled landing is “one too many”, and that the urgent review she had ordered would look into “what must be done to ensure it doesn’t happen again”.
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it → say → ?
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “Labour have admitted they will never stop the boats.
“
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they → say → boats
Keir Starmer’s pledge to ‘smash the gangs’ was always a farce, and open-borders Burnham has learnt absolutely nothing from his predecessor.
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Burnham → smash → predecessor
“The only way to stop the crossings is to deport all illegal immigrants on arrival, and only the Conservatives have a plan to do that.”
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Conservatives → stop → that
Fellow Tory frontbencher Helen Whately accused Andy Burnham’s Government of being “incredibly weak on illegal immigration”.
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Whately → accuse → immigration
She added: “They should have stopped the boats, they have failed.”
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they → add → boats
Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Max Wilkinson said: “Until the Government adopts Liberal Democrat proposals to tackle the root cause by entering the EU’s landmark migration and asylum pact, these smugglers will continue to find a way through, lives will be put at risk and taxpayers’ money will be wasted.”
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money → say → risk
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “Seven hundred and eighty-one illegal migrants invaded Britain yesterday.
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migrants → say → Britain
“But don’t worry, Andy Burnham is making a TikTok.
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Burnham → worry → TikTok
“Reform will deploy the Royal Navy and stop the boats.”
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Reform → deploy → boats
The Aporia
