LONDON: A boat carrying 128 people arrived on the coast of England, a record for a single crossing of the Channel, British media reported on Sunday.

Along with two other boats, a total of 225 migrants reached England on Friday, according to the Home Office.

The PA news agency and the BBC said the 128 arriving on a single boat beat the previous record of 125 people set in September 2025.

Without confirming the figure, a Home Office spokesperson said that “smuggling networks are taking greater risks than ever, with the number of people they cram into unseaworthy boats increasing year on year”.

The number of migrants arriving in Britain after crossing the Channel fell by 41 per cent in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period the previous year, according to figures from the Home Office published in early July. Some 12,439 have arrived since January 1. In April, the British government signed a three-ye­­ar agreement with the Fr­­ench authorities providing for 662 million pounds ($8­85 million) to fund pa­­trols on the northern Fr­­e­­nch bea­ches from whi­ch the makeshift boats set sail.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2026