According to provisional government data, a total of 872 people made the crossing, distributed among 15 vessels, an average of about 58 people per boat.
While this day marked a record for 2023, it's important to note that the total for the year still remains below the figures from the previous year. By this time in 2022, approximately 25,000 people had undertaken the journey. 2022 also holds the record for crossings in a single day since 2018 when, that number started being tracked. On 22 August 2022, 1,295 crossings were recorded in a single day.
The data for the week leading up to Saturday indicates that 1,172 people have made the journey, with crossings taking place on two out of six days. The figures for any crossings on Sunday will be published on Monday.
Comparatively, the total arrivals in 2022 stood at 45,774, slightly higher than the previously documented 45,755 according to Home Office data.
Notably, the average number of people crossing the Channel per small boat hit a new monthly high for August in 2022, with 5,369 people making the journey in 102 vessels, averaging about 53 people per boat.
In response to this ongoing challenge, a Home Office spokesperson emphasized the strain placed on the asylum system by these dangerous crossings. The government is working in collaboration with French partners and other agencies to disrupt human smugglers. Additionally, the Illegal Migration Act is being implemented to ensure the prompt detention and removal of individuals arriving in the UK illegally to their country of origin or a safe third country.