More than 1,000 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel during the recent spell of record-breaking hot weather, according to Home Office figures.
Crossings were recorded over six consecutive days from Friday through Tuesday as temperatures surged across England and Wales during the May bank holiday weekend.
According to The Sun, at least 1,128 people reached British shores during the five days, with migrants continuing to arrive as calm weather conditions created favourable conditions for small-boat crossings.
Images from Dover in Kent showed migrants wearing life jackets and wrapped in thermal blankets as Border Security Command vessels brought them ashore ,home office data showed that 139 people crossed the Channel in two boats on Tuesday alone, taking the provisional total number of arrivals this year to 8,704.
Despite the recent spike, the overall number of crossings remains lower than in previous years. Officials said arrivals are down 36 per cent compared with the same period last year and 17 per cent lower than 2024 levels.
The increase in crossings coincided with extreme temperatures across the UK. The Met Office confirmed Tuesday as the hottest May day ever recorded in both England and Wales, with temperatures reaching 35.1 °C at Kew Gardens in London and 32.9 °C in Cardiff.
Forecasters said warm weather was expected to continue into the weekend before temperatures gradually cooled next week.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service, three men from Turkey, Algeria and Albania pleaded guilty at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court to entering the UK without valid entry clearance.
Osman Yesil, 47, Tawfiq Boubazine, 33, and Elidjon Cota, 29, were each sentenced to eight months in prison, the CPS said.
Three other men — two from Sudan and one from Iran were charged with endangering life at sea and remanded in custody ahead of a hearing at Canterbury Crown Court next month.
Sarah Dineley, the CPS lead on immigration crime, said several cases were processed within hours over the bank holiday weekend.
She added that prosecutors continued to work with international partners to target organised criminal groups involved in Channel crossings.
