Some 696 people who crossed the Channel in 14 boats to seek asylum in the UK were brought ashore yesterday (1 August).
Those brought into Ramsgate Harbour, including children, were taken away on buses.
It is the highest number of people crossing the English Channel in small boats on record in a single day this year.
The figure was published in daily data from the Ministry of Defense (MoD).
The former Fire Training and Development Center in Manston is used to process people seeking asylum through ‘irregular’ routes due to the closure of Dover Tug Haven’s short-term immigration prisons.
The site will hold individuals for up to five days while security and identity checks are completed.
The Home Office says people are taken there for initial screening and processing before going to longer-term accommodation. The site offers the amenities and services needed for a short-term stay.
In April, the government announced plans to return asylum seekers to Rwanda through channels other than official channels.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new migration and economic development partnership, saying it will “mean that anyone entering the UK illegally – as well as those who have entered the UK illegally since January 1 – can now be relocated to Rwanda”.
The prime minister claimed the scheme would disrupt people-smuggling gangs and prevent economic migrants from using the asylum system.
However, late intervention by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) led to new lawsuits in the UK courts, meaning no flights to Rwanda have taken place. New court hearings are scheduled to take place in the fall.
Figures for small channel crossings detected July 25-31 show:
| date | people discovered | boats discovered |
|---|---|---|
| July 25th | 136 | 3 |
| July 26th | 0 | 0 |
| July 27th | 202 | 5 |
| July 28th | 0 | 0 |
| 29th of July | 247 | 7 |
| 30th July | 460 | 12 |
| July 31st | 0 | 0 |
