This year, almost 4,000 people have crossed the English Channel, in more than 300 small boats. There was a new record of at least 235 arrivals on 6 August. The numbers attempting the crossing are higher – but some boats are intercepted by the French authorities before they reach British waters. The boats tend to be small dinghies that are overcrowded. The passengers are mostly Males of a Fighting Age – and they’re crossing one of the most dangerous and busy shipping lanes in the world. Under international maritime law, people at risk of losing their lives at sea must be rescued. But they are not Asylum Seekers, they are coming from a Safe Country, France, and they need to be returned to that safe country.