More than 1,100 migrants cross Channel in a week – highest so far this year
More than 1,100 migrants have crossed the Channel in the past week, a record for the year so far.
In total, 26 small boats made the journey from northern France to England between 4 April and 10 April, according to the latest Home Office statistics. Some 1,106 people crossed the perilous waters.
Last Wednesday also saw the highest number of migrants travelling across in a single day in 2023, with 492 refugees in 11 vessels.
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Record-breaking week for crossings
It comes as the Italian coastguard rescued 1,200 people aboard two boats in the Mediterranean Sea over the Easter weekend.
On Tuesday, Italy declared a six-month national state of emergency to help it cope with a surge in migrants arriving on the country’s southern shores.
The number of migrants arriving in the UK over the past week is more than double the capacity of a barge the government has recently leased to house refugees.
The barge, which will be docked just off Portland in Dorset, is being hired by the Home Office from Bibby Marine and will be used from this summer.
It comes as the government is believed to be looking at further sites to accommodate migrants across the UK.
The Home Office has already announced three, including two ex-military bases and a former prison, that will be used as housing: RAF Scampton, in Lincolnshire, an MoD site in Essex, and HMP Northeye, in Bexhill, East Sussex.
The barge will be docked just off Portland in Dorset
The latest figures on crossings point to what charities are describing as “unrealistic” policies by the UK government aimed at trying to deter illegal journeys.
The Rwanda deportation plan to relocate illegal migrants is still being held up pending a Court of Appeal decision this month.
Natalie Roberts, executive director for MSF in the UK, said these plans “won’t work as a deterrent policy”.
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She said: “The idea that these deterrent policies put people off, we’ve seen through long histories, our organisation has worked with refugees and migrants since we started and there are other organisations who work with refugees and migrants, and it doesn’t play into their thinking about national policies in the country that they’re aiming to get to.
“That really doesn’t play a huge factor in their choice to flee for a start, or their choice of where they are going to, so we don’t anticipate that realistically it will make any difference whatsoever.
“Putting a few hundred people on a barge is not going to make a huge difference to the numbers of people who want to claim asylum in the UK.
“An awful lot of effort and money is being put into some of these schemes which are not going to make a difference.”
This weekend also saw hundreds of migrants rescued in the Mediterranean Sea by the Italian coastguard.
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PM defends plans to house migrants on barge
Two large-scale operations to rescue 800 people in a fishing boat were launched, with another 400 refugees on another vessel.
Migrant crossings to Italy from North and East Africa have risen sharply compared with the same period last year.
That is despite attempts by the Italian right-wing coalition government to clamp down on migration.
It is predicted that both Mediterranean and Channel crossings will rise in the months ahead, above the numbers seen in 2022.
Liverpool have won the Premier League title after a 5-1 victory over Tottenham at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s men did it in impressive style, turning over Spurs in a convincing win.
It was a rocky start for the Reds after Dominic Solanke put the north London side ahead.
However, fortunes quickly changed in the first half as Liverpool scored three times without a response.
Captain Virgil van Dijk (centre) celebrates. Pic: Reuters
Salah on his knees in celebration after the final whistle. Pic: AP
Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott (below) and Jarell Quansah celebrate after full-time. Pic: PA
Slot cheers after the full-time whistle. Pic: AP
In the second half, it took until the 63rd minute for Mohamed Salah to make it 4-1 before a fifth followed.
The Reds have won the title in manager Arne Slot’s first season in charge, and move level with fierce rivals Manchester United on 20 league championships.
But it makes them arguably the most successful English club ever as they have won more European Cup or Champions League titles.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk told Sky Sports after the final whistle: “It’s special and it’s something that we don’t take for granted. It’s amazing.
“A lot of emotions before the game, during the whole week, but we got the job done and we (are) truly deserved champions of England. (Liverpool is) the most beautiful club in the world and I think we deserve all of this. Let’s enjoy the next couple of weeks and let it sink in.”
Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas poses with a Premier League trophy cut out. Pic: Reuters
Manager Arne Slot and his team after the final whistle. Pic: AP
Slot took over last summer from Jurgen Klopp, who guided them to their previous and maiden Premier League title triumph in 2020, when the COVID-19 lockdown saw matches played behind closed doors.
He is the first Dutch manager to win the Premier League and the fifth man to do so in a debut campaign after Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Manuel Pellegrini, and Antonio Conte.
Speaking to Sky Sports he said: “They [the players] did an outstanding job today. The main job was to win. Everyone said we had got it already. But we had to make sure and we got over the line.”
Several players, including Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah, played leading roles in both the 2025 and 2020 campaigns.
Van Dijk and Salah recently signed new contracts extending their careers at the club.
Mohamed Salah takes a selfie with fans after scouring the fourth Liverpool goal. Pic: AP
Fans at Anfield during the game. Pic: AP
Fans in the stands at Anfield before full-time. Pic: Reuters
Liverpool will have to wait until the final game of the season – at home to Crystal Palace on 25 May – to be presented with the Premier League trophy.
It will be the first time the club’s fans will have seen their side lift the top-flight title in person since 1990.
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Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators have thrown red powder on Tower Bridge – just moments before leading runners in the London Marathon went past.
The protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and remain in custody, said the Metropolitan Police.
A video shared by Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, shows two people jumping over a barrier that separates spectators from the race course.
The pair, wearing t-shirts that say “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”, are then seen standing in the middle of the road on the bridge.
Pic: LNP
They throw red powder in the air as an official marathon car goes past displaying the race time.
A motorbike with a cameraman on board continues along the route, while a second motorbike stops and one of the riders gets off and pushes the pair out of the way, just before the men’s elite runners pass.
Several police officers then jump over the barrier and detain the pair, the footage shows.
There appeared to be no impact on the marathon.
More than 56,000 participants were expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race through the capital.
Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s elite race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s-only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.
Assefa beat the previous best of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds set last year in London by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.
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Pic: LNP
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At around 10.38am, two protesters from Youth Demand jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge and threw red paint on to the road.
“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the men’s elite race which was able to pass unobstructed.”
The force added that they were “quickly supported by police officers who arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance”.
The Met said the paint “appeared to be chalk-based” and was not expected to “present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point”.
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