More than 100 migrants cross Channel to UK as French coastguard rescues 45

The Ministry of Defence said 106 people made the journey in two boats on Tuesday.

(Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)

More than 100 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel as 45 were rescued when a boat got into difficulty.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said 106 migrants made the journey in two boats on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the French coastguard reported that 45 people were rescued in the Channel that afternoon after an incident off the coast of Pas-de-Calais.

Those on board the boat were taken to Calais, where they were met by emergency services and police, according to a translation of a statement from the Prefecture maritime de la Manche et de la mer du Nord.

It comes after government figures showed that no migrants had crossed the Channel to the UK for a fortnight amid bad weather conditions.

The 14-day hiatus between January 3 and January 16 was the longest stretch without any arrivals for nine months.

The total number of migrants who have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel so far this year is 150, according to MoD data.

Tuesday was the second day of crossings in 2023, after 44 migrants were recorded making the journey in one boat on January 2.