The Government said it must “push further and harder” to stop migrants crossing the Channel after more than 700 people arrived in the UK on Wednesday – the highest number for a single day so far this year.
asserted
people → say → day
It comes after a Cabinet minister said not every migrant boat can be intercepted in the wake of two vessels landing undetected on British shores within two days.
asserted
boat → come → days
Meanwhile Lucy Moreton, from the ISU union which represents Border Force officers, told the Press Association migrant boats were “definitely” arriving on British shores completely undetected, with reports of beach landings “all the way down to Falmouth” but the scale of the problem was not known.
asserted
scale → represent → problem
Officials were also now looking for sites in Hampshire to house another Dover-style reception centre in a bid to make it easier and quicker to bring migrants ashore to process once they had been intercepted at sea, she said.
asserted
she → look → sea
Speaking to PA, former Border Force boss Tony Smith said beach landings were a “big worry” and suggested the whole of the south coast should be monitored for migrant crossings, not just the narrowest section of the Channel, the Dover Strait.
uncertain
whole → speak → Channel
The Home Office recorded 781 arrivals in 10 boats on Wednesday, suggesting an average of 78 people per boat.
asserted
Office → record → boat
The Government said its progress this year in tackling crossings was “indisputable” with crossings the lowest recorded over the summer months since 2020.
asserted
progress → say → 2020
“But this week’s events show that while the peaks we are seeing are far below those of previous years, we need to push further and harder in order to eradicate this vile trade,” a spokeswoman added.
asserted
spokeswoman → show → trade
Wednesday’s arrivals take the provisional total for Channel crossings for the year so far to 18,565.
asserted
arrivals → take → 18,565
Earlier, Education Secretary Lucy Powell said “(you) can’t stop everything all of the time”, the day after 21 people were detained when a boat evaded Border Force to reach the beach of Samphire Hoe in Dover.
asserted
boat → say → Dover
It was the second undetected landing in two days, following a dinghy making it to shore at Folkestone on Monday morning.
asserted
It → follow → morning
Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme if the situation was embarrassing for the Government, Ms Powell said: “(You) can’t stop everything all of the time.
asserted
You → ask → time
“Of course, it’s a concern.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
That’s why the Home Secretary has demanded and ordered this urgent review, because this is not what we want to see.
asserted
we → ’ → what
“But the overall picture is an improving picture.
asserted
picture → improve → ?
It is hard, difficult work that requires constant, constant effort by our border forces, our security services, police, our partnerships with France and other countries.
asserted
that → require → France
“This is a mammoth and huge task, which is now starting to reap some dividends.
asserted
which → start → dividends
But of course, you know where there are still issues arising, we must absolutely tackle them.”
asserted
we → know → them
Pressed on Good Morning Britain whether she stood by her statement, Ms Powell said: “I think you’re just taking that completely out of context.
asserted
you → press → context
“We are clamping down on small boat crossings every single day…
asserted
We → clamp → crossings
we are sucking the oxygen out of it, we are taking steps, and there are many, many steps.
“
asserted
we → suck → steps
It’s not an easy thing to do to just turn on a switch, turn off a switch overnight.
asserted
It → ’ → switch
We have to constantly evolve.”
asserted
We → have → ?
Most of the thousands of migrants crossing the Channel are brought to shore by Border Security Command and a small proportion by RNLI boats.
asserted
Most → cross → boats
According to the Home Office, before Monday no Channel crossings without an escort had been officially recorded since September 6 2025.
uncertain
crossings → accord → September
Uncontrolled landings are so rare that last year’s incident was the only other one logged by the department since Government records began in 2023.
asserted
records → log → 2023
It will come as a blow to Border Security Command leaders, which previously suggested they were a thing of the past thanks to new surveillance technology and improved resources.
uncertain
they → come → technology
Asked if Border Force staff suspect there have been more beach landings within the last year which were completely undetected, Ms Moreton said: “Absolutely, yes.”
asserted
Moreton → ask → year
Ms Mahmood said “even one” uncontrolled landing is “one too many”, and that the urgent review she had ordered would look into “what must be done to ensure it doesn’t happen again”.
asserted
it → say → ?
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “Labour have admitted they will never stop the boats.
“
asserted
they → say → boats
Keir Starmer’s pledge to ‘smash the gangs’ was always a farce, and open-borders Burnham has learnt absolutely nothing from his predecessor.
asserted
Burnham → smash → predecessor
“The only way to stop the crossings is to deport all illegal immigrants on arrival, and only the Conservatives have a plan to do that.”
asserted
Conservatives → stop → that
Fellow Tory frontbencher Helen Whately accused Andy Burnham’s Government of being “incredibly weak on illegal immigration”.
asserted
Whately → accuse → immigration
She added: “They should have stopped the boats, they have failed.”
asserted
they → add → boats
Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Max Wilkinson said: “Until the Government adopts Liberal Democrat proposals to tackle the root cause by entering the EU’s landmark migration and asylum pact, these smugglers will continue to find a way through, lives will be put at risk and taxpayers’ money will be wasted.”
asserted
money → say → risk
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “Seven hundred and eighty-one illegal migrants invaded Britain yesterday.
asserted
migrants → say → Britain
“But don’t worry, Andy Burnham is making a TikTok.
asserted
Burnham → worry → TikTok
“Reform will deploy the Royal Navy and stop the boats.”
asserted
Reform → deploy → boats
The Aporia
