First 44 migrants of 2023 cross Channel in small boat

Some 44 migrants have been brought to shore in the UK, in the first small boat crossing of the new year.

The migrants were picked up by the UK's Border Force and taken to Dover.

French authorities say another two boats carrying 80 migrants got into difficulty in the Channel on Monday and were returned to Calais, in France.

Last year, a record 45,756 people succeeded in making the journey - the highest number since records began in 2018.

This marks around a 60% increase on the previous year's figure.

The government has announced a series of measures in the past 12 months to tackle the issue of migrants in small boats making the perilous journey across the English Channel.

In December, four people died when a migrant vessel got into difficulties in freezing conditions.

Kent Police say they are working to establish their identities. Up to six other people are feared to be missing.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has labelled the crisis a priority for his premiership, expressed sorrow at the "tragic loss of human life" and set out new plans to reduce the number of crossings.

These included the creation of a new Small Boats Command Centre to bring together the military and National Crime Agency (NCA), increased funding for the NCA, and more raids on people suspected of working illegally.

And because in the 12 months to September 2022 more than 15,000 asylum seekers were Albanian, the government has also announced a new agreement with Albania to place more UK Border Force staff in its capital Tirana, and to fast track the return of failed asylum seekers to the country.

In April, the Home Office launched a five-year trial to send some asylum seekers arriving in the UK to Rwanda on a one-way ticket, to claim asylum there. However the policy, which was ruled to be lawful by the High Court in December, is likely to be hampered by further legal challenges.

Another measure is an agreement struck in November that will see the UK pay France £8m more a year under a revised deal to try to stop people crossing the Channel in small boats.

Under the plan, the UK will pay for increased surveillance of French beaches, while British officers will be allowed to observe command centres on French soil, to share information and help direct resources.

The final figures for number of asylum applications to the UK in 2022 are not yet available, but in the first nine months of the year, the UK received more than 52,500 applications, the highest number for almost two decades.

The majority of the people applying for asylum over the past 12 months arrived via the English Channel from France.

However, asylum claims made on or after 28 June 2022 can be rejected if the applicant has a connection to a safe third country - which includes passing through France on the way to the UK.

Asylum seekers have an initial interview and - if their case is accepted - they can apply to remain in the UK.

Figures show that in 2021 the UK authorities granted more first-time applications than France or Germany.

However, asylum seekers in the UK also have much longer waits than their counterparts elsewhere in Europe - 15.5 months compared to France's 8.5 months and Germany's 6.5 months.

And only 4% of people who arrived in the UK in small boats in 2021 have had a decision made about their case.

Those who are still waiting are generally not allowed to work, and many are housed in hotels due to lack of other suitable accommodation, at an estimated cost of £5.5m a day.