# Record 230 people cross Channel to UK as smugglers turn to ‘mega-dinghies’

https://mins.news/en/item/18023

- The Guardian, 2026-08-10 10:55 UTC
- World
- Original: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/aug/10/record-cross-channel-uk-people-smugglers-mega-dinghies-france

> A dinghy carrying 230 people reached the United Kingdom after crossing the Channel in the early hours of Monday, setting a record for the number aboard one vessel. The use of a larger boat is presented as the clearest sign yet that smugglers in northern France are changing their tactics. The shift comes despite increased enforcement along the French coast. Smugglers are escalating their so-called taxi-boat strategy to evade UK and French authorities.

## Related coverage

- [Record 230 people reach UK on a single boat after Channel crossing](https://mins.news/en/item/18183) — Al Jazeera, 2026-08-10
- [Record 230 illegal migrants reach England on one boat](https://mins.news/en/item/18028) — TASS, 2026-08-10