Despite UK crackdown plans hundreds of migrants cross Channel in small boats
British officials say hundreds of people have crossed the English Channel in small boats in the last 24 hours, after more than a week in which none of the hazardous journeys were reported. The Ministry of Defense said 254 people arrived on the English coast in seven boats from northern France on Sunday, and more people were brought ashore by British lifeboats on Monday. The crossings had all but halted since 20 April, a few days after Britain announced a plan to send some asylum-seekers to Rwanda. But officials said rough weather, rather than the new policy, was the likely reason for the lull. Thousands of people a year try to cross one of the world's busiest shipping lanes in dinghies and other fragile craft in hope of a new life in the UK. More than 28,000 migrants entered Britain across the Channel last year, up from 8,500 in 2020. Dozens have died, including 27 people in November when a packed boat capsized. In a dramatic -- and, critics say, illegal -- move, Britain's Cons...