At least nine boats were intercepted by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution on Thursday, carrying an estimated 400 people. On Wednesday, Home Office figures put the total number of people to have made the journey at 99,960. The number of crossings has increased steadily up to the start of 2023, with greater demand to reach the UK creating more opportunities for people-traffickers to profit. Crossings from France become more frequent during the late summer months as weather conditions turn more favorable. The period from the start of August to the end of October witnessed 51 percent of the year’s total number of crossings, with a similar surge expected this year.

Source: The Nation August 10, 2023 07:45 UTC