Official estimates released on Sunday show that more than 45,000 migrants traversed the English Channel to the UK from mainland Europe in 2022, topping the previous year's record by more than 17,000.

This became a major political issue for the Conservative UK government, which has vowed to reduce illegal immigration and dismantle the smuggling networks that carry out such crossings.

Last year, 45,756 individuals made the perilous small-boat crossing of one of the world's busiest shipping routes, compared to 28,526 in 2021.

Last month, four individuals died when a tiny boat carrying migrants overturned in the Channel amid frigid weather, while 43 were rescued by a nearby fishing boat.

This incident happened a little over a year after at least 27 people were killed when their dinghy capsized, causing soul-searching on both sides of the Channel.

The year 2022 also witnessed the largest single-day total of migrants crossing, with 1,295 making the voyage on August 22.

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