Nearly 1,200 small-boat migrants arrive over three days after three-week pause in Channel crossings

Nearly 1,200 migrants have crossed the English Channel in just three days after a three-week lull in small-boat arrivals.

A total of 1,193 people made the perilous journey to Britain between Thursday and Saturday, according to the latest Home Office figures, bringing an abrupt end to a prolonged pause in crossings.

The sudden surge saw 263 migrants arrive in three boats on Thursday, followed by another 671 in nine vessels on Friday and 259 in four boats on Saturday.

It means 16 boats carrying an average of almost 75 people each reached British shores in just 72 hours, as people smugglers appeared to take advantage of a break in the poor weather that had kept crossings at bay.

The latest arrivals come amid growing concerns over violence on the French coastline, where extraordinary footage has captured migrants punching and shoving each other in frantic attempts to board boats bound for Britain.

In one video, dozens of people can be seen scrambling into an inflatable dinghy, with those already on board striking out at others trying to climb in.

The dangerously overcrowded vessel appears to dip towards the water as passengers jostle for space, raising fears that it could capsize before even leaving the shoreline.

A total of 1,193 people made the perilous journey to Britain between Thursday and Saturday, according to the latest Home Office figures

Nearly 1,200 migrants have crossed the English Channel in just three days after a three-week lull in small-boat arrivals

Some migrants are seen desperately throwing themselves into the boat, falling on top of passengers already packed tightly together, only to be met with forceful blows to the head.

Other images taken along the French coast show men, women and children wading through the freezing water in winter coats and bright orange life jackets as they attempt to board the vessels.

The scenes underline the increasingly dangerous nature of the crossings, with smugglers continuing to cram dozens of passengers into inflatable boats for the journey across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

The latest surge also comes after footage emerged on Friday of a knife-wielding migrant threatening another passenger during a confrontation on a dinghy at Hardelot-Plage in northern France.

The man, who was standing in the water, appeared to pull out a knife and lunge towards someone already on board after an argument erupted over access to the vessel.

'I will kill you,' he was heard shouting as he waved the weapon in the air.

A British man at the scene could be heard alerting the coastguard to the danger, while another passenger attempted to fend off the attacker.

The knifeman appeared to drop his weapon into the water before subsequently climbing aboard the dinghy. It remains unclear whether he eventually reached Britain.

The incident is the latest in a series of violent confrontations linked to attempts to cross the Channel.

In July, French police launched an investigation after a migrant's body was discovered on a beach in Calais, with investigators examining whether those responsible had escaped to Britain by small boat.

An Afghan national was also found dead aboard a dinghy in the Channel in August.

Migrants have been caught desperately trying to cram themselves and their families into small boats crossing into the UK

What should Britain do to stop dangerous Channel crossings once and for all?

The renewed crossings come as figures obtained by the Daily Mail revealed that at least 2,182 unaccompanied child migrants have made the journey since January, equivalent to more than 200 a month.

The figures, released by Kent County Council, highlight the number of children making the dangerous crossing without a parent or guardian.

Meanwhile, people smugglers have been accused of openly mocking British authorities after a distinctive inflatable boat decorated in the colours of the Kurdish flag was spotted preparing to cross the Channel.

More than 20 men were filmed aboard the vessel off a Belgian beach early on Thursday morning, as police watched nearby.

Unlike the usual black inflatable dinghies used by trafficking gangs, the boat featured the red, white and green stripes and yellow sunburst emblem associated with the Kurdish flag.

The vessel was filmed at around 3am near the French border, although it remains unclear whether it subsequently reached Britain.

The images sparked an angry response from opposition politicians, who accused the Government of failing to disrupt the criminal gangs organising the crossings.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'Far from smashing the gangs as Labour promised, the Kurdish people smugglers are now openly laughing in the Government's faces with an illegal immigrant boat decked in their national colours.

'The coming days are calm seas for a fortnight or so, and hundreds of illegal immigrants are set to flock across the Channel.

'The Government's returns deal with France has collapsed and the authorities the other side of the Channel are standing by as illegal immigrants and people smugglers run amok and launch ever larger boats.

'Shabana Mahmood has failed.'

He added: 'The only solution is the Conservative borders plan - leave the European Convention on Human Rights so we can deport all illegal immigrants upon arrival. Then the crossings will stop.'

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also condemned the scenes, writing on X: 'The Belgian authorities, like the French, are just standing and watching.

'This boat is even custom-made to match the Kurdish flag. The gangs are laughing at us.'

The latest arrivals will pile further pressure on the Labour Government over its handling of illegal migration, with the Prime Minister facing continued criticism of his efforts to stop the small boats.

According to figures, 85,649 migrants have reached Britain in small boats since Labour came to power, including 8,466 since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister in July.

The Government has repeatedly insisted that its efforts to tackle the trafficking gangs are delivering results, pointing to cooperation with French authorities and the seizure of boats and engines used in the crossings.

A Home Office spokesman previously said: 'We have made progress tackling the small boats. Crossings are down significantly, and we have just recorded the lowest number of summer arrivals since 2020.

'Joint efforts with international partners have prevented over 50,000 crossing attempts and seized 1,100 boats and engines since the election.

'But we must go further. That's why we are boosting the number of officers on the ground in France and removing the pull factors drawing people here through illegal and dangerous routes.'