More than 14,000 migrants have arrived in the UK so far this year after crossing the Channel, figures show.
According to Home Office data, 297 people were detected on Wednesday in six boats, suggesting an average of around 50 people per boat.
The latest arrivals take the provisional total for 2023 to date to 14,071.
On Tuesday, 574 people made the journey, marking the second highest number of arrivals on a single day this year.
The total number of migrant crossings for 2023 so far is still lower than the more than 15,000 arrivals recorded this time last year.
Overall, 45,755 people made the journey in 2022.
The crossings come as the Illegal Migration Bill is poised to become law and just days after the Government hailed its sweeping asylum reforms passing through Parliament.
On Tuesday, the Bibby Stockholm barge – which will house 500 asylum seekers – was met by protesters as it arrived in Dorset’s Portland Port a month behind schedule. But two other cruise ships set to house migrants have reportedly been unable to find a berth.
The Home Office said around 50 asylum seekers will board the Bibby Stockholm from next week with the numbers rising to its maximum capacity over the next few months, despite safety concerns raised by some of the county’s Conservative MPs and locals.
Downing Street has defended the Government’s decision to use barges to house migrants, insisting it was a cheaper alternative to housing them in hotels.
