An average of 50 migrants are crammed into each boat that illegally crosses the Channel from France to the UK, new figures indicate.
More than 43,000 men, women and children have made the dangerous journey through busy shipping lanes since January 1, according to analysis of statistics from Britain’s Ministry of Defence. The number is the highest on record and 50 per cent greater than the annual figure for the whole of last year.
Despite French authorities conducting patrols on beaches and the UK’s Conservative government threatening to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, the steady stream of boats has continued.
A total of 884 people in 17 boats were intercepted in UK waters on Tuesday, MoD data showed, an average of 52 per vessel. The latest arrivals bring the provisional total for this year to 43,500.
The vast majority of people who leave France for the south-east coast of England travel in rubber dinghies that are intercepted by British authorities before reaching the shoreline.
In previous years, Channel crossings dwindled to a halt during the colder months as such small vessels struggled to cope with choppy seas.
But this year has seen the trend bucked.
Migrants in the UK - in pictures
Brief spells of bad weather sporadically halted crossings earlier this month but they have since resumed with hundreds of migrants arriving daily.
The continuation of such journeys as December approaches could be a sign that people smugglers are using more robust vessels to transport people across the sea.
Last week marked one year since 27 migrants drowned while trying to cross the Channel in an inflatable boat.
Police in Gloucestershire on Tuesday arrested a 32-year-old man on suspicion of being a member of an organised crime gang behind the fatal crossing.
Officers swooped on Harem Ahmed Abubaker in Cheltenham and he now faces extradition to France, where he is accused of the “French equivalent of manslaughter” and facilitating illegal immigration, the National Crime Agency said.
A pregnant woman and children were among the dead. Four people are still missing.
Sixteen of those killed were Iraqi-Kurds while four were from Afghanistan.
The boat in which they had been travelling was “like a pool you blow up in your garden”, according to Gerald Darmanin, France’s Interior Minister.
The tragedy sparked a fresh migration row between politicians in London and Paris, as ministers traded blame for the worsening crisis.
An official report from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch found the boat had reached UK waters.
Suella Braverman, the UK’s Home Secretary, travelled to the French capital this month to sign an agreement to stem the flow of Channel crossings. Under the pact, costing £62 million ($74.4 million), co-operation of border policing teams on each side of the water will be boosted.
Critics have accused Ms Braverman of creating animosity towards migrants after she claimed Britain was experiencing an "invasion".
The bio
His favourite book - 1984 by George Orwell
His favourite quote - 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance' by Derek Bok, Former President of Harvard
Favourite place to travel to - Peloponnese, Southern Greece
Favourite movie - The Last Emperor
Favourite personality from history - Alexander the Great
Role Model - My father, Yiannis Davos
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000
On sale: now
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
Company%20Profile
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Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000
6.30pm Meydan Classic Trial US$100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
Winner Bella Fever, Dane O’Neill (jockey), Mike de Kock (trainer).
7.05pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Woven, Harry Bentley, David Simcock.
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner Fore Left, William Buick, Doug O’Neill.
8.15pm Dubai Sprint Listed Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Rusumaat, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.
8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group Two $450,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner Benbatl, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor.
9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner Art Du Val, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
10pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Beyond Reason, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
UAE SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Adel Al Hosani
Defenders: Bandar Al Ahbabi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Mohammed Barghash, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Mahrami, Yousef Jaber, Salem Rashid, Mohammed Al Attas, Alhassan Saleh
Midfielders: Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Majed Hassan, Yahya Nader, Ahmed Barman, Abdullah Hamad, Khalfan Mubarak, Khalil Al Hammadi, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Harib Abdallah, Mohammed Jumah, Yahya Al Ghassani
Forwards: Fabio De Lima, Caio Canedo, Ali Saleh, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
The Internet
Hive Mind
four stars
Company%20profile
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Mobile phone packages comparison
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
Victims%20of%20the%202018%20Parkland%20school%20shooting
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Asian Cup 2019
Quarter-final
UAE v Australia, Friday, 8pm, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
