Border Force officers have seized a yacht in connection with small boats crossings in the English Channel on Saturday.

A patrol vessel was seen towing the boat into Dover before securing it in the harbour.

Home Office data, which is published daily, shows 413 people crossed the Channel in small boats on Friday.

In a statement, the Home Office said “the new Government is taking steps to boost our border security” including through the launch of a Border Security Command.

The Home Office said it could not comment on individual crossings, nor confirm how many migrants were on board the yacht on Saturday.

The total number of people who have crossed the Channel so far this year stands at 15,489 – about 10% higher than for the same period in 2023.

Channel crossings are often attempted in dinghies. The use of a yacht is unusual.

Some 1,157 people have been rescued from the Channel since Monday after setting out in small boats, while two have died making the crossing in the same period.

Another four people died in the Channel in the previous week after a spell of good weather saw the number of crossings increase.

On Friday, the Home Office confirmed that a British Border Force vessel which was assisting with a French search and rescue operation had returned migrants to France for the first time.

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