Woman begs to be allowed to board migrant boat in busy day for Channel crossings

A distraught woman rescued from the Channel begged to join her family on a packed migrant boat on one of the busiest days for crossings so far this year.Dramatic pictures show the woman pleading with lifeboat crews who had pulled her from the water at Plage d’Hardelot near Boulogne-sur-Mer on the north coast of France on Wednesday morning.Witnesses told how the woman had been trying to get to the boat but became distressed when she was taken to safety and appeared to have been separated from her family on board.Migrants were seen clambering onto a packed boat off the coast of northern France (Gareth Fuller/PA)PA WireShe is thought to have been travelling with at least one child who remained on board the dingy, which emergency services then attempted to reach.The boat later floated further along the beach and closer to the shore at which point the woman was seen rushing into the water to climb on board to be reunited with her family.In images and footage captured by the Press Association, crowds of people – some carrying children on their shoulders – are seen wading through the water from the beach and many successfully pile onto the dinghy.A steady stream of crossing attempts took place throughout the day on Wednesday in what is thought could be the busiest day of the year so far.A person thought to be a migrant gestures having attempted to board a small boat off the coast of Hardelot, France (Gareth Fuller/PA)PA WireThe Home Office will confirm how many people arrived in the UK after making the journey on Wednesday in data published on Thursday.The busiest day for arrivals in 2026 to date is June 15 when 710 people made the journey.Since the current crisis began in 2018, the highest number of migrant crossings in a single day was recorded on September 3 2022 (1,305).According to Home Office figures, 13,376 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel so far this year.People thought to be migrants are brought back by French authorities to the beach in Hardelot (Gareth Fuller/PA)PA WireThis is 45% lower than the number recorded by this time last year and down 19% on the same period in 2024.More than 900 made the journey in just five days since Andy Burnham walked into Number 10 last week, including 165 on a so-called “mega dinghy”.Speaking to reporters in Derby on Tuesday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham insisted the Government’s plan to curb Channel crossings was “working” but admitted there was “more to do”.