In just two days, Britain has rescued or intercepted 1,115 migrants attempting to cross the English Channel, according to the country’s interior ministry.
Following Britain’s exit from the EU at the beginning of this year, an increase in the number of migrants crossing the Channel in tiny boats has contributed to rising tensions between the UK and France.
On Saturday, British police announced that they had rescued 491 people in 17 operations on Friday and 624 people in 23 operations the day before, while French authorities prevented 414 migrants from reaching the UK during the same two days.
More than 17,000 migrants have crossed to Britain in small boats since the beginning of the year, according to a calculation by Britain’s domestic news agency PA, more than double the total for the entire year of 2020.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin advocated for a migration deal between the EU and the UK during a visit to Loon-Plage in northern France on Saturday.
He also urged the British government to follow through on its promise to pay France $73.5 million to fund the reinforcement of French coast guard forces.
