Around 20 migrants have crossed the English Channel so far today despite strong winds and freezing sea conditions.
The mainly male group, dressed in thick jackets and foil blankets, were escorted to Dover, Kent, on a Border Force vessel around 9am.
The boat could be seen rocking as it battled 30mph winds and choppy conditions on its way back to shore.
While the government has yet to confirm official migrant arrivals for today, British officials could be seen helping around 20 people off the ship and removing their life jackets.
A group of around 20 migrants have crossed the English Channel so far today despite strong winds and cold sea conditions
The mainly male group, dressed in thick jackets and foil blankets, were escorted to Dover, Kent, on a Border Force vessel around 9am.
The latest people to make the perilous crossing were only the second group to reach the UK in nearly two weeks after bad weather.
Smugglers took advantage of a temporary break in windy English Channel conditions on Saturday, with 36 migrants making the perilous journey through the 21-mile Strait of Dover in a single boat.
The last crossing before this was on November 14, when 400 people reached British soil in eight ships.
The provisional total for the year so far stands at 42,164 asylum seekers in 1,036 boats – an average of 41 people per boat. 2,261 of these migrants arrived in November alone.
This has already exceeded the total of 28,526 people in 2021 and 2020 which saw only 8,410 people make the crossing in dinghies or other small watercraft.
While the government has yet to confirm official migrant arrivals for today, British officials could be seen helping around 20 people off the ship and removing their life jackets.
Rishi Sunak today faces growing pressure from Tory MPs to make urgent changes to modern slavery laws to reduce the number of ‘bogus asylum seekers’ crossing the Channel in small boats.
A group of 50 people led by former minister David Davis have written to the Prime Minister to quickly implement a ‘simple’ change to the law to reduce the flow of people which has reached 40,000 this year.
They want modern slavery laws changed to facilitate the return of people they believe are not eligible for asylum and claim to be trafficked.
Tory backbenchers say Channel crossings are a ‘Gordian knot that needs to be cut with simple politics’.
The request comes as Mr Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman face pressure to prevent the crossings and improve conditions for asylum seekers in the UK.
The signatories, including Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 committee of Conservative backbenchers, demand that ‘economic migrants’ from ‘safe countries’ such as Albania be removed more quickly.
They argue that “people claiming to have been unwitting victims of human trafficking or modern slavery” should be sent “back to their villages of origin”.
Mr Davis today told Sky News that Albanian arrivals should be told ‘immediately – in a summary decision’ that they cannot apply for asylum.
The letter was arranged by former Brexit secretary David Davis on Channel crossings
The Tories say ‘if they were really taken against their will, they could not reasonably object to being sent home’.
“The quirks of our modern slavery laws that prevent this are clearly contrary to the purposes of this law and should be removed,” they wrote.
They argue that “the simple and legally viable way to resolve the crisis” would be a “very strong deterrent” for those considering risking the perilous crossing.
Former Cabinet Ministers Dr Liam Fox and Esther McVey and longest-serving MP Sir Peter Bottomley also signed the letter, showing the Tories are nervous that not s Tackling the issue will hurt them at the polls.
A government spokeswoman replied: ‘We have made it clear that there is no single solution to stopping the increase in dangerous level crossings.
“We have also made it clear that we will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to discourage illegal migration.
“We are accelerating the return of individuals by concluding tailor-made bilateral return agreements with partners like Albania, making this a key priority of our foreign policy.”
On Wednesday, Interior Minister Suella Braverman testifies before the Home Affairs Select Committee
