Watching a border patrol ship enter the harbor of Dover, it was difficult to know from beyond the waves how many immigrants, if any, were on board.

However, hidden below deck and inside the boat were at least 60 people rescued from the sea.

Among them was a tiny baby wrapped in blankets in his mother’s arms.

Another man held his toddler close.

It’s hard to imagine what prompted them to make the perilous journey, often in unseaworthy and packed boats, to reach the UK’s shores.

And they are not alone: ​​Home Office figures confirmed today More migrants have crossed the canal in small boats so far this year More than in all of 2023.

In Dover town centre, there is sympathy for those arriving, but there is an almost resigned acceptance that no policy will deter people from risking their lives in this way.

A husband and wife who were out shopping were chatting, eager to stop and talk.

“This must be costing the country millions,” the woman said.

Her husband added: “They still have to go somewhere.”

His wife agreed: “We can’t stop them… it’s all over, not just in the UK but also in Italy and Greece.”

Two other men, sipping coffee down the main street, described the situation as “a big immigration problem.”

One suggested “stronger cooperation with France.”

“This isn’t just about stopping illegal immigration, it’s actually about saving people’s lives,” he added.

Another shopper said migrants would “make this journey no matter what” and described Rishi Sunak’s plan to deport Rwanda as “expensive nonsense”.

There was little expectation that small boat passage would be prevented or reduced here.

Even Kay Marsh of Dover-based immigration charity Samphire insisted “the situation is only going to get worse”.

He wants to hear less talk about deterrence and more about defending “safe and lawful means.”

His conclusion is that giving people “an alternative to small boats is the only way to stop them.”