General · 9 April 2026

Channel crossings hit 5,000 despite £16.2M UK-France deal

More than 5,000 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats so far in 2026, amid a surge in arrivals. Around 325 migrants reached UK shores on Wednesday alone. Two people died during a recent crossing attempt near Calais. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood extended the UK-France border patrol deal by two months, with the UK paying France £16.2 million.

By BriefTea Editorial · 9 April 2026 at 5:05

Reported by Daily Express · How we write briefs

Get the app

More briefs

GeneralGoogle paying £260m to settle UK Play Store developer lawsuit PoliticsJames Cleverly steps down from the shadow cabinet to campaign for London mayor GeneralThe UK Navy just followed four Russian ships again GeneralSarah Ferguson is moving back to the UK following the Epstein scandal GeneralIcelanders vote on restarting EU membership talks after 13 years GeneralGoogle now auto-expands AI answers, pushing links down Browse all stories →