The government changed the law in June in a bid to deter migrants from crossing the Channel.
Fewer than 100 people who have cross the English Channel in small boats have been arrested for arriving illegally in the UK under a new power to deter them.Under the new law, anyone who arrives in the UK without proper permission or good reason commits a crime that can lead to up to four years in prison.
Its creation coincided with ministers increasingly referring to illegal migrants crossing the Channel - a claim hotly disputed by refugee groups. They say the term is misleading and fails to acknowledge the complex reasons for crossings and the legal right to seek protection. It refused to say - but has now disclosed the figures following after a Freedom of Information request.The new offence came into force on 28 June.
During the law's passage through Parliament, ministers told MPs that the new crime would "deter migrants from risking their lives" and help to take back control of the borders.
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