The “global migration crisis” is an urgent issue for the whole of Europe and requires close cooperation across the continent, the British government said on Friday. More than 24,700 illegal immigrants have arrived in the UK so far this year after crossing the English Channel in small boats, almost three times the number there were in 2020. A spokesman for 10 Downing Street said the government is working “extremely closely” with the French authorities to prevent migrants from crossing the Channel. “Our work to date has prevented more than 20,000 migrant attempts so far this year but we have been clear that we need to do more, both ourselves and the French, which is why we continue to work extremely closely with them,” he said. “We are facing a global migration crisis choreographed by organised crime groups who put people on these boats to make these incredibly dangerous crossings. This …