More than 250 illegal migrants cross English Channel as smugglers exploit hottest day of year so far

Three other migrant boats made the illegal crossing in the hours that followed.

Just after 3pm, the Border Force vessel Typhoon unloaded another 82 at the migrant processing centre in Dover, taking the total for the day to 261.

It takes the total number of illegal arrivals so far this year to 3,718.

Several more days of good weather in the Channel this week are expected to see hundreds more small boat migrants attempt to reach Britain.

The Border Force facility at Dover harbour has now reopened after being closed for upgrade work for the past two months.

All migrant arrivals, which were being diverted to Ramsgate harbour, are now being landed back at the main Dover processing centre.

The fresh wave of small boat arrivals coincided with the UK basking in its hottest day of the year so far.

Temperatures reached 20.1C in West London, significantly higher than last week.

Meanwhile, mercury peaked at 13C in Dover as wind gusts remained particularly low at just 12mph.

Almost 200,000 small boat migrants have crossed the Channel since the start of the crisis in 2018.

Sir Keir Starmer has overseen more small boat arrivals than any other Prime Minister, with more than 66,000 crossing the Channel in his first 19 months in power.

Kent County Council is this week voting on declaring an "illegal migration" emergency.

The motion, which was tabled by councillors David Wimble and Jeremy Eustace, argues small boat arrivals will "likely contain a number of potential terrorist cells, supporting IS and al-Qaeda".

Council leader Linden Kemkaran said: "Illegal small boat crossings are not a distant problem for Kent. As Leader of Reform in KCC, I refuse to sit back and do nothing."

The motion estimates that irregular migration costs Kent families approximately £368 annually for a household of four.

Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told GB News his one-word "secret" to achieving net zero migration.

In his first sit-down interview with GB News - and his first ever with a British broadcaster - Mr Orban said: "Determination. So if you decide that you stop them, stop them.

"Sometimes it's not the nicest job, but if you decide that this is our borderline and nobody can cross it without our permission, you have to keep the line and you have to do so.

"So, in Hungary, it's very simple. If somebody is crossing the border line without getting permission prior to that from the authorities, it's a crime and we treat them as crime-makers.

"So if you're not tough enough... You can't be half tough, you know. Yes or no? There is no between."

However, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood set out her plan to dissuade migrants from making the perilous 21-mile journey.

Ms Mahmood is looking to alter asylum claims to ensure refugee status only becomes temporary.

She is also offering failed asylum seekers families up to £40,000 to leave the UK.

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