A record 230 migrants arrived after crossing the Channel to the UK in a single boat on Monday, according to reports.

GB News said the “mega dinghy” left France overnight, arriving in Dover in the early hours. The number breaks the previous record from July when 165 people successfully made the crossing.

Small boats used to cross the Channel have been getting bigger as people smugglers use fewer crossings with more passengers to evade the French authorities.

Small boat crossings to the UK this year are down compared to previous years, with around 14,000 making the journey between January and July.

A dinghy carrying 173 people capsized in the English Channel after its engine caught fire earlier this month.

The Home Office has been approached for comment. Responding on X, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “At 2.30am this morning a boat carrying 230 people was taken into Dover.

“This is a record number in a single vessel.“It’s yet more proof that this illegal invasion is a national security emergency.”

This is a breaking story. More to follow...

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