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Home Secretary returns to Channel as migrant crossings continue

Home Secretary Priti Patel met Border Force officers in Dover as migrants continued to cross the English Channel from France (Kirsty O’Connor/PA) (PA Archive)
Home Secretary Priti Patel met Border Force officers in Dover as migrants continued to cross the English Channel from France (Kirsty O’Connor/PA) (PA Archive)

Priti Patel has met Border Force officers as migrants continue to cross the English Channel to the UK from France by boat.

The Home Secretary was seen out in the Channel on Thursday, the day after it was confirmed she would remain in her role as part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Cabinet reshuffle.

It is understood she took part in a private meeting with law enforcement teams who are on the front line tackling illegal migration.

Her trip to Dover came as crossings continued for the fourth consecutive day this week.

A new record was set for the year so far when 1,959 people crossed the Channel from France in the week to September 10 – the highest total for any seven-day period in 2021, according to data compiled and analysed by the PA news agency.

At least 14,400 people have crossed to the UK on board small boats this year.

The total for 2021 so far is already just over 6,000 higher than the number of people who made the crossing in 2020.

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