More than 700 migrants crossed the Channel in 12 boats on Tuesday, a new record for this year.
Some 705 asylum seekers were detected and brought into Dover, taking the yearly total to 8,888, Home Office figures show.
It comes just days after 656 were detected crossing in small boats.
Home Office figures revealed 656 asylum seekers were detected on 11 boats, on Saturday heaping more pressure on Sir Keir Starmer’s “smash the gangs” plan.
The UK and France are discussing a “one-for-one” agreement that will allow asylum seekers to join their family members already in the UK.
In return, illegal migrants who have successfully crossed the Channel will be taken back to France. London and Paris are working on a “pilot scheme” that could later be expanded into an EU-wide deal.
Ministers are under intense pressure to step up efforts to stop small boat crossings, amid a record number so far this year.
“We are in early discussions about a scheme that would see a small number of migrants returned to France in exchange for us accepting others, in line with what we have discussed … about prioritising family reunion,” a Home Office source told the Financial Times.
France’s interior ministry confirmed the country was in negotiations with the UK about an agreement to take back some irregular migrants who had crossed the Channel.
It said: “France’s interest is to discourage migrants (and smuggling networks) from attempting to reach the UK from France.
“It’s a pilot scheme that anticipates a future European agreement, which France strongly supports.
“It is based on a one-for-one principle: for each legal admission under family reunification, there would be a corresponding readmission of undocumented migrants who managed to cross [the Channel].”
Transport minister Lilian Greenwood said on Wednesday that “there are discussions ongoing with the French government” but did not say what a future deal could look like.
This is a breaking story. More to follow.
