Record-breaking migrant dinghy with 165 people arrives in UK

A record-breaking dinghy carrying 165 migrants has arrived in the UK, the largest single boat crossing of the English Channel on record. The vessel, described as a 60-foot mega dinghy roughly the length of a double-decker bus, was intercepted after crossing from France. The incident has reignited debate over border control and immigration policy, with critics accusing the new Labour government of failing to stem the flow of illegal crossings.

In 2018, the then home secretary Sajid Javid declared a major incident after 94 migrants crossed the Channel over three days. Since then, around 200,000 people have entered Britain illegally via small boats. The latest crossing dwarfs those earlier figures, with 165 people crammed onto a single vessel. Reports indicate that French police were present on the beach as the boat departed but only helped a few people off before allowing the rest to sail away, despite the UK paying France over half a billion pounds for border enforcement.

Political reaction has been swift. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp called for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights, arguing that would allow the immediate deportation of all illegal arrivals within a week. He said the 165 migrants should be put on a bus to Gatwick airport and flown out of the country. Philp also criticised the Labour government for cancelling the Rwanda deportation scheme, which he said was a necessary deterrent.

The government has not yet commented on the incident. The new prime minister, Keir Starmer, has faced questions over his silence on the issue during the election campaign and since taking office. Some commentators have suggested that the use of larger boats indicates that efforts to disrupt the supply of small boats may be working, but critics argue it simply shows the smugglers adapting to new measures.

Meanwhile, the backlog of asylum appeals has reached 123,000, and the Illegal Migration Act passed by the previous government has not been fully implemented. The debate over how to stop the boats continues, with proposals ranging from deploying the Royal Navy to leaving international human rights treaties.