London - More than 1,100 immigrants arrived in the country on a French boat on Saturday, the highest number in a day so far this year, according to the British government data on Sunday.

The latest home office figures show that 1,194 immigrants arrived at 18 ships in settled weather conditions on Saturday, with the interim annual total so far reaching 14,811.

That's 42% higher than the same view last year, a growth that pileds pressure on the Labor government, which will resume taking office nearly a year ago, partly due to disillusionment due to the efforts of a previous Conservative government to master the number that made it leap.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who abandoned the Conservative government's plan to send unauthorized means to immigrants in Rwanda, said his government would control it by smashing gangs and maintaining the business model of its smuggling operations.

Since gaining power, Starmer's government has sought better intelligence sharing internationally, strengthened enforcement actions in northern France and adopted more difficult provisions in its immigration legislation.

French police were seen on Saturday's observation, when they boarded the immigrants on a gravel beach between Calais and Dunkirk, and then accompanied the authorities on the escort boat. French authorities said they rescued 184 people.

"Those scenes yesterday were shocking," Defense Secretary John Healey told Sky News.

He added that French police could not intervene to intercept ships in shallow waters, adding that Britain forced the French to impose new regulations so they could intervene, which was a "very big problem".

"They didn't do that, but for the first time in years, … we need a level of cooperation," he told Sky News. "We have a certain agreement that they will change the way they work, and our focus now is to get them to work so that they can intercept these smugglers and stop these people from being on board, not just on shore."

Despite French and British efforts, the cross-channel route is one of the busiest transport lanes in the world and remains the main smuggling corridor for people fleeing conflict or poverty. Many immigrants prefer the UK for reasons that they are language, family relationships or perceived asylum and work.

The Home Office said 36,816 people arrived in the UK in 2024 by boat, 25% more than in 2023 (29,437). The largest number of arrivals was in 2022, with 45,774.