The weather is not a “contributory factor” to the falling number of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats, Home Secretary James Cleverly said.

Small boat crossings were reportedly down by 36%, with provisional annual statistics showing that 29,437 took place this year in comparison to 45,774 in 2022.

Mr Cleverly said the decrease is due to co-operation with Europe, disrupting the supply chain of engines and boats, and “going after the money of these people smugglers”.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman backed up the Home Secretary by stating it was “wrong to claim” the reduction in small boat arrivals in 2023 was due to weather conditions.

There were 102 good sailing days this year, 106 sailing days last year, so the weather is not a contributory factor

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Mr Cleverly said: “This is nothing to do with the weather, I know this is a convenient way of overlooking the incredibly hard work our officials have done with their colleagues across Europe. This is not about the weather.

“In fact, the number of good sailing days this year was only four fewer than the previous year. There were 102 good sailing days this year, 106 sailing days last year, so the weather is not a contributory factor.

“The 36% reduction is because of a number of things including co-operation with our European partners, including France, including Albania, including Romania, Germany and others.

“It’s about disrupting the supply chain of engines and boats that used to bring people across the Channel, and also it’s about going after the money of these people smugglers, and it is about working hard both on the UK border and across Europe.

“We are a positive outlier because of the actions that we have taken, this is not about the weather, this is about the work that the Home Office officials have been doing both domestically and with their counterparts across Europe.”

Rishi Sunak’s spokesman echoed Mr Cleverly’s comments on sailing days and said: “As ever with small boats, we are always alive to seasonal effects. But I think given the substantive and sustained decline, it is wrong to claim that this big reduction, this 36% reduction, is down to poor weather.

“In fact, that assertion is not backed up by the facts. The number of good sailing days this year was only four fewer than the previous year.”

Mr Cleverly told LBC on Tuesday that “my target is to reduce it to zero, to stop the boats” in 2024, but this was not repeated by No 10.

Asked whether Rishi Sunak supported Mr Cleverly’s statement, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “I didn’t see where he made that specific comment. The Prime Minister and the Home Secretary are united in wanting to stop the boats entirely.”

Calling the Safety of Rwanda Bill a “key part” of stopping the boats, the Downing Street spokesman continued: “The Prime Minister made the commitment about getting flights … off in the spring — that remains our aim.

“An important part of that is the Bill and we will be bringing that back to Parliament this month.”

The Rwanda Bill is expected to be brought to Parliament in the next two weeks.

Asked whether the Channel crossings could be stopped in 2024, the spokesman replied: “We need to ensure Parliament has its say. I’m not going to set out a deadline. We want to do this as soon as possible, that is why we are introducing this Bill, which we believe that Parliament will support because it is what the public want to see.”