English Channel crossings have increased this week amid calm seas, with more than 1,000 migrants attempting the perilous journey in the past three days.
More than 470 people crossed the Channel from France on Monday, taking the provisional total for 2023 to 25,330.
On Saturday 537 people made the journey, with a further 28 on Sunday.
Experts said the UK government data shows human traffickers have taken advantage of the benign weather.
The French tug boat Abeille Normandie shadowed one inflatable dinghy carrying as many as 50 people, none wearing life jackets, as it motored towards British waters earlier this week.
The role of the tug, chartered by the French coastguard, was to ascertain “the state it's in, the number of souls on board and whether they are wearing life jackets or not,” said the vessel's skipper, who identified himself as Captain Mickael, in accordance with protocols.
“Then we'll follow it in order to be ready to intervene if a problem arises,” he added.
After entering British waters, the dinghy, sitting low in the water, was met by a British search-and-rescue vessel, which the migrants boarded, an agency photographer said.
In March the UK agreed to pay France around £480 million ($579 million) over three years to try to stop migrants making the illegal crossings after total arrivals reached more than 45,000 in 2022.
But the traffickers are constantly changing strategy, said Veronique Magnin, spokeswoman for the French coastguard in the Channel and North Sea. “They are very well organised,” she said.
UK government figures show the number of migrants detected crossing to Britain from France by sea so far this year stands at a provisional 25,330 – around 23 per cent below this point last year.
More than 33,000 people had made the crossing by October 2, 2022, with 45,774 arrivals in total last year.
Nine boats were detected on Monday, which suggests an average of about 52 people crossed the Channel per boat.
On September, 2, almost 900 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats, the highest number on a single day so far this year.
The Home Office reiterated that the “unacceptable” number of people making the crossing is “placing an unprecedented strain on our asylum system”.
It added that its priority remained to “stop the boats”, with the Small Boats Operational Command working alongside French authorities and other agencies to disrupt people smugglers.
A spokesperson added: “The government is going even further through our Illegal Migration Act, which will mean that people arriving in the UK illegally are detained and promptly removed to their country of origin or a safe third country.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made stopping the crossings one of key pledges for this year.
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
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List of officials:
Referees: Chris Broad, David Boon, Jeff Crowe, Andy Pycroft, Ranjan Madugalle and Richie Richardson.
Umpires: Aleem Dar, Kumara Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Ian Gould, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Sundaram Ravi, Paul Reiffel, Rod Tucker, Michael Gough, Joel Wilson and Paul Wilson.
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
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Price: From Dh149,900
Hotel Data Cloud profile
Date started: June 2016
Founders: Gregor Amon and Kevin Czok
Based: Dubai
Sector: Travel Tech
Size: 10 employees
Funding: $350,000 (Dh1.3 million)
Investors: five angel investors (undisclosed except for Amar Shubar)
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
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If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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