Two men accused of people-smuggling crimes have appeared in court just two days after the highest daily record of small boat crossings in 2023 was recorded.

Provisional Home Office data revealed 872 asylum seekers took the treacherous English Channel route on Saturday.

The number, said to have travelled in just 15 boats, takes this year's total to 20,973.

The previous highest number for this year was 756 people on August 10.

In two unrelated and separate hearings at Canterbury Crown Court today, Nicolae-Robert Mares and Muhamed Alievski both faced what are known as facilitation offences.

Mares, 32, from Romania, is alleged to have smuggled eight Vietnamese nationals into the UK between July 22 and 27 this year.

The were discovered by customs officers at Dover docks in an HGV trailer which had arrived on a ferry from Calais.

Mares pleaded not guilty to assisting unlawful immigration into the UK and is expected to stand trial in early January.

The second defendant, Muhamed Alievski, was charged with people-smuggling offences as part of a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation into a network suspected of moving asylum seekers out of the UK.

The 28-year-old, from Macedonia, was arrested by NCA officers at Javelin Way, Ashford, on the morning of Saturday, August 5.

Alievski is accused of participating in the activities of a people-smuggling organised crime group.

He did not enter a plea to the charge but a trial date of February 26 was fixed by Judge Simon Taylor KC.

He remanded both men in custody.

At the time of Alievski's arrest, NCA Branch Commander Matt Rivers said: “Tackling organised immigration crime is a priority for the NCA and we are determined to do all we can to disrupt and dismantle the networks involved.

“Those who help people leave the UK in lorries not only pose a risk to the individuals being transported themselves but also to border security.

"We’ve seen cases of people wanted for serious criminal offences in the UK try and escape this way. This is why we and our law enforcement partners are alive to the threat.”