Two dinghies carrying migrants reached Kent undetected within two days, prompting Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to order an urgent Border Security Command review. The incidents have intensified pressure on the Government over Channel crossings, while opposition figures argue they demonstrate a loss of control at the border.

Up to 30 people landed at Samphire Hoe on Tuesday, following seven arrivals near Folkestone the previous day; 21 were detained. A further 51 people completed a 38-hour journey from Normandy, while Home Office figures recorded 150 arrivals on Monday and 154 on Tuesday, taking this year’s total to 17,784, excluding some later arrivals. A man in his 20s was also found dead on a French beach, and police are investigating footage allegedly showing damage being inflicted on a migrant boat.