More than 1,000 small boat migrants have crossed the English Channel illegally in less than 48hours, GB News can reveal.

The surge in arrivals comes in the week the Prime Minister admitted the small boats crisis in the Channel was "deteriorating."

Border Force vessels and lifeboats picked up close to 600 migrants on Saturday, a day after 437 made the crossing in seven small boats.

A GB News producer based in Kent filmed as the Border Force catamaran Ranger arrived in Dover harbour around 10am today. He counted 134 migrants as they were led away to the Border Force processing centre nearby.

Border Force picked up close to 600 migrants today

The Coastguard was also called on to dispatch the Dover and Ramsgate lifeboats to assist as multiple migrant boats were spotted in UK waters by mid-morning.

By Saturday evening, GB News had counted 582 migrant arrivals. The official figure will be published by the Home Office on Sunday.

It takes the number who have made the illegal crossing since Friday to 1,019. The total for the year so far now stands at just under 18,400.

That number is almost 50 per cent higher than the number of small boat migrants who had crossed at this point last year.

BF Typhoon arriving into dock earlier today

By this date in 2024, 12,313 had crossed and 10,518 in 2023 while 11,690 had made the crossing by the same time in 2022.

The latest surge in small boat crossings comes despite an apparent tougher approach by French police along their northern coast.

Officers have been filmed in recent days firing tear gas and using pepper spray, in attempts to disperse migrants attempting to board dinghies close to shore.

Some French officers have also been seen puncturing migrant boats in shallow water, or on the beach, a tactic which has been used sporadically over the past couple of years.

Earlier in the week, Sir Keir Starmer threatened a visa crackdown against countries failing to fully cooperate in the fight against illegal migration.

The Prime Minister signalled that countries which did not do enough to tackle the irregular migration crisis, for example by taking back failed asylum seekers, could face repercussions in the numbers of visas issued to their citizens.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay and we will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.

"That is why this government has put together a serious plan to take down these networks at every stage.

"Through international intelligence sharing under our Border Security Command, enhanced enforcement operations in Northern France and tougher legislation in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, we are strengthening international partnerships and boosting our ability to identify, disrupt, and dismantle criminal gangs whilst strengthening the security of our borders."