Small boats carrying migrants successfully crossed the English Channel overnight, with several more vessels observed attempting the perilous journey on Saturday morning.

Calm weather conditions across the Channel are thought to be facilitating these continued crossings.

The latest arrivals push the total number of people making the journey this year past 36,000.

That is an increase of about a third compared to the same period in 2024.

It comes after the UK's border security chief described the volume of small boat arrivals as "frustrating", while acknowledging that efforts to disrupt the smuggling routes would "always going to take time".

Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt, who has been in post for a year, rejected the idea it was a "fool's errand" to go after smuggling gangs and told MPs he was convinced the plan in place "will deliver".

Speaking to the Commons' Home Affairs Committee on Thursday, Mr Hewitt said: "I, more than anybody, find the fact that the numbers are where they are frustrating and really challenging, and this issue could not be more high profile.

"But I am convinced that the plan, the sort of cross spectrum plan that we have in place, is a plan that will deliver, but we need to we need to keep pushing and delivering that plan."

Ministers have been continuing in their efforts to stem the so-called "upstream" causes of the crossings.

Earlier this week, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood met in central London with her counterparts from the western Balkans.

International policing efforts are attempting to crack down on smuggling gangs who have plotted trafficking routes through the region.

Next week, Sir Keir Starmer will host a leaders' summit with western Balkan countries to agree further measures to bring down the number of migrants arriving illegally to the UK.

More small boats seen crossing English Channel overnight