More than 600 people crossed the English Channel in small boats on Sunday – the highest amount on a single day so far this year.

It comes after Rishi Sunak said on a visit to Dover just a week ago that the measures designed to curb the numbers were succeeding.

The Prime Minister had told a press conference that he did not believe that it had been poor weather that had led to a 20% decline in crossings.

But following the warm weekend, with low winds, Home Office figures released today show 616 people crossed on Sunday, surpassing the previous highest number of 497 on Saturday, April 22.

It means the total number in 2023 now stands at a provisional total of 8,380, down from about 10,000 at the same point last year.

Some 45,755 people made the crossing in 2022, leading the Prime Minister to declare that he would “stop the boats”.

A Downing Street spokesman said the numbers “fluctuate on any given day”, adding that when Mr Sunak referred recently to crossings having fallen 20%, he was talking about “a five-month average reduction” rather than a snapshot figure.

“We do know that number of crossings fluctuates; equally we know that, on average, the enhanced work with our French counterparts means that you are now more likely to be intercepted and stopped if you attempt to make a crossing than succeed in crossing the Channel,” the spokesman continued.

Mike Tapp, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Dover and Deal, said: “Dover Straits have consistently experienced force 6 / 7 north and north-easterly winds for at least the last month – which will of course reduce crossings.

“So, I don't know what Rishi Sunak thinks he is doing turning up in Dover and trying to trick people with claims that they are on top of this”.