Over 700 Migrants Cross Channel to Britain in Single Day

On August 11, over 700 migrants made the perilous journey across the English Channel to Britain, marking the highest daily total since Prime Minister Keir Starmer took office, Arab News reported yesterday.

French authorities reported that two migrants died during the crossing, raising the death toll to 25 for the year. A total of 703 individuals arrived on 11 boats, according to provisional figures from the interior ministry.

The issue of small boat arrivals was central to Britain’s recent general election, leading to Starmer’s decision to abandon the controversial Rwanda deportation scheme, a policy of the previous Conservative government. Instead, he has committed to dismantling the people-smuggling networks responsible for the crossings.

The surge in migrant numbers, now totaling 18,342 in 2024—13% higher than last year—comes amid rising anti-migrant sentiment following a tragic knife attack that falsely linked a Muslim immigrant to the crime. Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are working to enhance cooperation in addressing this crisis.