Channel crossings continue to surge as small boat arrivals soar to over 19,000 in fresh misery for Keir Starmer

Several so called "Red Days" are expected over the next 10 days, allowing the people smugglers to launch many more small boats towards the UK.

A Red Day yesterday saw almost 600 migrants making the illegal crossing.

GB News sources predict up to 900 small boat migrants could reach UK waters by the end of the day.

In addition, another 11 small boats are believed to currently be in the English Channel.

Sunday's arrivals took the total number of Channel migrants so far this year to more than 19,000.

That figure is 44 per cent higher than the 13,272 who had crossed at the same point last year.

The latest surge in illegal migrant crossings is expected to coincide with a long-promised tougher approach from French law enforcement.

French police have begun using teargas and pepper spray to try to disperse migrants gathering on local beaches.

This month, French authorities are also expected to begin pushing migrant boats back to shore, if the dinghies are still in shallow water and police rigid-inflatables can get to them before they head into deeper water.

The Prime Minister is also expected to announce a possible deal with France during President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to the UK next week.

The deal is expected to allow a partial returns agreement, where France would take back some small boat migrants in exchange for a set quota of other French based migrants the UK would accept.

The Conservatives have already slammed the proposed deal.

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Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp MP said: "We pay the French half a billion pounds to wave the boats off from Calais, and in return we get a migrant merry-go-round where the same number still come here.

"The French are failing to stop the boats at sea, failing to return them like the Belgians do, and now instead of demanding real enforcement, Labour are trying a one in, one out gimmick."

Senior maritime sources have told GB News the number of migrant crossings is set to soar over the next fortnight.

By Tuesday alone, it is likely that the figure for the year so far will easily top 20,000.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We all want to end the dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.

“The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay and we will stopat nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.”