Multiple migrants were jailed and charged after attempting to cross the English Channel during the bank holiday weekend, in a series of prosecutions that reflected the government's continuing efforts to deter small boat crossings through the criminal justice system. The cases were brought swiftly by the Crown Prosecution Service, with Sarah Dineley leading the prosecution effort. The bank holiday weekend saw a surge in crossing attempts, with favourable weather conditions and calm seas creating what people smugglers consider ideal conditions for the dangerous journey from northern France to the English coast. The crossings took place in small, overcrowded inflatable boats that have become the primary method for migrants seeking to reach the UK without valid travel documents. The jailings represented the continuation of a prosecutorial approach that has been escalated in recent months, with the government seeking to use criminal sentences as a deterrent against both those organising crossings and those making the journey. Critics of the approach argued that imprisoning migrants who had undertaken dangerous journeys in search of safety was both inhumane and ineffective, pointing to evidence that criminal penalties have had little impact on the overall number of crossing attempts. The Channel crossings remain one of the most politically charged issues in British politics, with successive governments struggling to reduce the numbers despite investing heavily in border security, diplomatic agreements with France, and processing reforms. The bank holiday prosecutions came at a time when overall crossing numbers for the year were running ahead of the previous year's pace, despite government claims that its Rwanda deterrence policy and enhanced enforcement would reduce arrivals.