LONDON — Nearly 1,300 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats on Monday, setting a new daily record.

The UK's Ministry of Defense said 1,295 migrants arrived, surpassing the previous high, set in November.

It's the highest daily number of migrants that have arrived in the UK since records began in 2018.

An estimated 27 small boats arrived at the port of Dover on Monday after the dangerous sea crossing, the ministry added.

It comes after three days of bad weather when no migrants were recorded entering the country.

More than 22,670 people have entered the UK in small boats from France so far this year, compared to just 12,500 at the same time in 2021.

A recent UK parliamentary report has suggested that the number could increase to 60,000 by the end of 2022.

To tackle the crisis, the British government launched a controversial program to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, where their claims will be processed. The first flight was then cancelled after a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights.

The UK has also funded additional coastal surveillance in France to step up efforts to prevent migrant crossings.

At least 203 people have died or gone missing while trying to reach the UK from northern France since 2014, including 27 in a single day last year, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). — Agencies