[1/2] Migrants are escorted into Dover harbour, after being rescued while attempting to cross the English Channel, in Dover, Britain, August 24, 2022.
REUTERS/Henry NichollsLONDON, April 19 (Reuters) - Britain is anticipating that 56,000 migrants will cross the Channel in small boats to its shores this year, court documents show, meaning it would be need to house as many as 140,000 asylum seekers.
Already this year, more than 5,000 more people have arrived in Britain across the Channel.
"Significantly, the number needing support is predicted to grow still further: Home Office operational plans are based on scenarios of up to 56,000 small boat arrivals in 2023," the document said.
($1 = 0.8055 pounds)Reporting by Michael Holden and Sam Tobin, Editing by Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.