(ANSA) - LONDON, NOV 13 - The number of migrants who crossed the English Channel on makeshift boats to reach the United Kingdom today exceeded the 40,000 mark: the British Ministry of Defense declared.
According to government data, 972 people crossed the canal on 22 small boats yesterday, bringing the total for the year to 40,885 people.
Never before have so many migrants - mostly Albanians, Iranians and Afghans - made the dangerous crossing.
In the whole of 2021, 28,526 crossings were recorded, and it was already a record.
These rising numbers are putting pressure on the government as observers have made the fight against immigration an absolute priority after Brexit and the asylum system is more overloaded than ever.
The issue is a point of contention with Paris, although the two countries announced in a joint statement on Friday that they are "making progress" in finding a new deal on the matter.
The UK is reportedly ready to pay France 80 million euros (€ 91 million) more to ensure greater surveillance on French beaches, while British agents would have access to French control centers.
(HANDLE).