Labour is blaming the weather for a record number of Channel crossings as pressure mounts on Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper to end the crisis. Home Secretary Ms Cooper said the UK’s border security is currently “dependent on the weather”. Officials believe there have been far more “red days” – when crossings are considered likely because conditions are calmer – than in previous years.
This has allowed smugglers that have “taken a deep hold along the English Channel” to launch more boats packed with dozens of asylum seekers. More than 6,600 migrants have crossed the Channel this year, up 31% on last year.
