More than 600 people crossed the Channel in small boats on Friday, the day after a baby died on the journey.

Home Office figures show 647 people made the crossing in 10 boats, pushing the total for the year above 28,000.

Friday’s crossings came after French authorities announced the death of a baby off the coast of Wissant in the Pas-de-Calais region on Thursday evening.

It was the 45th death reported by French coastguards so far this year, with refugee charities warning the Channel crossings were becoming more dangerous.

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said there had been more deaths this year than in the previous three years combined.

He said: “This procession of death and tragedy shows we need to rethink our approach. Lives will continue to be lost if we carry on as it is.”

But the growing deadliness of the Channel does not appear to have deterred people from attempting the crossing to Kent.

Friday’s crossings take the total number of people who have made the journey this year to 28,204, almost 8% higher than at the same point last year but 25% down on the peak year of 2022.

Since Labour came to power, 14,630 people have made the crossing, almost exactly the total for the same period last year and 10,000 fewer than the same period in 2022.