meaning there s already been more than 8,400 arrivals this year, that s matched the total for the whole of last year. yesterday, the uk announced more than £50 million of new funding to help france double the number of police patrolling its beaches. and a bill to make crossing the channel without permission a criminal offence, punishable by up to four years in prison, passed a parliamentary vote. those plans have met opposition. putting people injail, who have come here because of the terrible things that have happened to them in their lives is really draconian, punitive and all that it will do is fill up ourjails without resolving the issue. with more than five months of the year still to go, its reasonable to predict the total for arrivals in 2021 will be the highest by some margin. simon jones, bbc news. our correspondent, simonjones, is in dover. what did you see happening this morning, simon? it’s what did you see happening this morning, simon? what did you see happening this
heathrow. today once again it will be hot and sunny for most, with a chance of some torrential showers. all the details coming up. good morning. it s wednesday the 215t ofjuly. our top story the number of migrants crossing the channel to the uk this year is already equal to last year s total, and there s still almost half of 2021 to go. france will double the number of police patrolling its beaches as part of a deal with the uk to reduce numbers. simonjones reports. crossing one of the world s busiest shipping lanes in a small inflatable is dangerous, whatever the weather, but calm seas and long warm days mean migrants are trying to get across the english channel in record numbers. border force uk officials intercepted 430 people as they tried to enter the uk on monday alone, the largest number recorded on a single day. a further 287 arrived yesterday, meaning there has already been more than 8,400 arrivals this year.
at the conditions. it s a really warm, once again, here in dover and in the channel mic, it is incredibly calm. a short while ago, we saw a border force boat coming to the port of dover in the channel. they were taken to shore to begin the process of being processed where they have their picture taken and after that, they are taken to reception centres and people will be dispersed around the country. the home secretary, priti patel, says the british public is rightly angry and upset at seeing such seems pretty much on a daily basis. that is why she called an emergency meeting with her french counterpart yesterday evening. the big idea, now, is that britain is going to give france another £54 million. that s going to be used partly to double the number of police officers patrolling the beaches and northern france and also to increase surveillance along the coast. it can