Record number of migrant boats crossed Channel in 2021

LONDON (AP) — At least 28,300 people packed into small boats crossed the Channel from France to England’s south coast in 2021. The annual record was three times the number of crossings a year earlier. The leap in numbers was reported Tuesday by the Press Association news agency based on data from Britain’s Home Office. It reflects the soaring number of migrants seeking to cross the world’s busiest shipping lane often in flimsy boats provided by people smugglers. The risks were tragically underscored on Nov. 24 when at least 27 migrants drowned as their boat sank after leaving France.