A lull in small boat migrants crossing the English Channel has come to an end, with a group of people attempting to reach the UK for the first time in nearly two weeks.

The break in recent poor weather allowed for several crossing attempts to be launched today, according to reports.

The $662 million deal with France

The UK Home Office signed a three-year agreement to pay France £662 million to support beach patrols in a bid to drive down the number of arrivals.

The arrangement would see officers 'targeting and detaining' migrants on the French coast with the aim of removing hundreds from beaches every year.

Weather, supply, and policy: the factors at play

Experts attribute the decrease in small boat migrants crossing the English Channel to various factors, including weather, supply of small boat parts, and government policy.

The number of arrivals is down by 44 per cent on this time last year, and 23 per cent on the same point in 2024.

Net migration at a 5-year low

The UK's net migration dropped to an estimated 171,000 last year,the lowest level since the start of the coronavirus pandemic .

The figures for the 12 months to December are down 48 per cent compared with the previous year (331,000), according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

French authorities' new initiative

It was also confirmed for the first time that French authorities' new initiative to stop boats at sea will only apply to dinghies with fewer than 20 migrants aboard.

Under Labour's new agreement, the £53 million-a-year extra payments will partly depend on how many boats are intercepted at sea.

A group of people thought to be migrants were pictured exiting a Border Security Command vessel in Dover, Kent,on Friday.

Migrants on an inflatable dinghy clamber on to a UK Border Force vessel on BSC Intrepid after crossing the Channel from northern France on April 27.

More than 100 small-boat migrants were rescued by the French coastguard after their dinghy broke down in the Channel.

Several people got into difficulty while trying to climb into the boat, including a woman who lost consciousness and had to be evacuated by helicopter, the maritime authority said.