Media report record 128 migrants reached England in one Channel boat

British media said a boat carrying 128 people reached the coast of England on Friday, the highest reported number for a single Channel crossing.

The Home Office said 225 migrants arrived in England on Friday across three boats. The PA news agency and the BBC reported that the 128 people on one boat passed the previous single-boat record of 125, set in September 2025.

AFP said the Home Office did not confirm the 128-person figure. A Home Office spokesperson told AFP that smuggling networks were taking greater risks and putting growing numbers of people into unseaworthy boats.

Home Office figures published in early July said the number of migrants reaching Britain by crossing the Channel fell by 41 percent in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. The figures said 12,439 people had arrived since January 1.

In April, the British government signed a three-year agreement with French authorities providing 662 million pounds, or $885 million, to fund patrols on the northern French beaches from which the makeshift boats depart.

In early July, the Labour government introduced a major bill in parliament to reform the asylum and immigration system. AFP said the bill, led by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, aims to deter immigration and speed up deportations.