Four bodies have been found in the English Channel and more than 50 migrants rescued.
Fifty-one people were rescued after a boat got into difficulty off the coast of Audresselles in northern France overnight on Monday, French authorities said.
On Tuesday, a ferry reported seeing a body floating in the water off the coast of Calais, prompting a search which led to the discovery of another body.
The French coastguard said two more people were found dead in the water off the Calais coast on Wednesday.
All four bodies were brought ashore and an investigation has been launched but it has yet to be confirmed whether the people who died were migrants.
It comes as figures published by the government on Thursday show more than 3,000 migrants arrived on Channel crossings in the last fortnight.
A total of 3,197 crossed the Channel between 24 October and 6 November, making it the busiest 14-day period so far this year.
Starmer’s personal authority pinned on tackling gangs
Sir Keir Starmer has pinned his personal authority on smashing people smuggling gangs to reduce small boat crossings.
And this week is the government’s ‘small boats week’ – with a double whammy of appearances and announcements by the prime minister on how he plans to deliver.
Sir Keir is under intense pressure to outline a viable alternative to the now-defunct Rwanda plan.
His strategy is based on smashing the gangs through an intelligence-led approach – treating the problem like catching terrorists.
On Monday at an Interpol conference in Glasgow the PM promised to double funding for its Border Security Command with new tactics including ‘hi-tech’ maritime drones and new specialist investigators.
Although there are big questions over whether anywhere near enough money has been made available to fund the plan.
Now the prime minister has signed a deal in Hungary with Western Balkan countries to increase intelligence sharing.
But co-operation deals will need to extend way beyond the Balkans – particularly Spain, Italy and Greece if there is to be any chance of success.
With more than 31,000 migrants crossing the channel since January – 17 per cent higher than the same period last year – none of this adds up to a magic bullet.
The prime minister is going after the gangs. But there are a lot of gangs from a lot of different countries and as long as demand exists criminals will find a way of meeting it.
Vast sums of money have already been spent by previous governments trying to stop people smugglers before migrants get as far as France’s northern beaches. And it hasn’t worked.
Until proven otherwise many believe the only way to stop asylum seekers from paying smuggling gangs is through deterrents and making the UK a less attractive place to come.
To that end, the well-established problems remain – such as ending asylum hotel accommodation; stopping people working illegally in black market economies and speeding up deportations. None of which is easy.
According to the Home Office, 263 people made the journey across the Channel in four boats on Wednesday.
That takes the provisional total number for the year so far to 31,535.
While this is an increase of 18% on this time last yet (26,699), it is down 21% on 2022 (39,929), which was a record high.
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According to the French coastguard, some 50 people have died while trying to cross the Channel this year.
In the House of Commons, newly-appointed shadow home secretary Mr Philp criticised the government for scrapping the Conservatives’ immigration plans which would have seen migrants sent to Rwanda.
“Had they allowed that flight to go ahead, had they allowed the scheme to continue, the deterrent effect would by now have started,” he said.
Eleven more deaths believed to be linked to crossing attempts have also been reported by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), but they are yet to be recorded in the government’s figures.
Charities say deaths in the Channel have become “appallingly regular” and have called for more to be done to create safe routes for migrants.
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Sir Keir Starmer is in Hungary on Thursday for talks with the leaders of Western Balkan countries, and he is expected to call for closer ties to tackle people smuggling gangs.
Ahead of the talks, the prime minister said the UK would be “at the heart of the efforts to end the scourge of organised immigration crime”.