700 migrants cross Channel to Britain in small boats

LONDON, Aug 12 (AFP): Over 700 migrants in small boats crossed the Channel to Britain on Sunday, the highest number on a single day since Prime Minister Keir Starmer took power vowing to tackle people-smugglers.
Two migrants who attempted the crossing died, French authorities said earlier, taking the number of people to lose their life on the dangerous sea journey to 25 since the start of the year.
Some 703 people arrived on Sunday on 11 boats, according to provisional interior ministry figures released Monday.
Stopping the small boat arrivals was a key issue in Britain's general election in July.
Within days of taking power, Starmer scrapped a controversial scheme to deport migrants to Rwanda.
The plan was a flagship policy of the last Conservative government.
Starmer has instead pledged to dismantle the people-smuggling gangs who organise the crossings and are paid thousands of euros by each migrant.