Record 128 Migrants Cross English Channel in One Boat on Friday

A small boat crossed the English Channel on Friday carrying 128 people, the largest number ever recorded in one vessel, The Bbc reported. The same day saw 225 migrants arrive on three boats total. More than 12,000 people have reached the UK in small boats so far this year, The Bbc reported, a figure 44 percent lower than the same period last year.

The previous single-vessel record stood at 125 people. A Home Office spokesperson said smuggling gangs are taking greater risks than ever, with the number of people they are cramming into unseaworthy boats rising year on year. The Home Office added that the crossing serves as a stark reminder that criminal gangs have no regard for the safety of those they claim to help.

The Home Office said lives are being lost in the Channel as a result and pointed to a new deal signed with France to boost enforcement action on beaches. That effort has stopped more than 45,000 attempted crossings since the election, The Bbc reported.