More than 230 migrants crossed the English Channel to Britain in a single "mega dinghy," setting a new record for the largest number of people packed onto one boat, despite the Labour government's repeated claims that its "smash the gangs" strategy is curbing small boat crossings. The incident underscores the continuing failure of UK and French efforts to stem Channel crossings, with smugglers apparently adapting by cramming ever-larger groups onto single vessels rather than reducing overall numbers, intensifying political pressure on the government over its migration policy.

The report highlights footage showing French police standing by and watching as a dinghy, reportedly carrying a months-old baby among its passengers, departed for Britain, raising further questions about the effectiveness of French beach patrols. The record-breaking crossing comes amid wider criticism of Labour's handling of small boats, with opposition figures, including Reform UK, pushing alternative hardline proposals such as deporting foreign criminals abroad, while the government continues to insist its approach to tackling people-smuggling gangs is delivering results.