A Border Force vessel brings a group of people thought to be migrants into the port city of Dover, England, from small boats, Saturday Aug. 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)Britains military said Saturday it has been asked by the government to help prevent people from reaching the U.K. from France in small boats, after a surge in the number of vessels making the dangerous journey. On Thursday, 235 people landed or were brought ashore from boats in the English Channel, a record number for a single day. Some have turned to small boats organized by smugglers because lockdowns have reduced opportunities to stow away on ferries and trucks. The number of migrants crossing the Channel is small compared to the number who try to reach southern European countries across the Mediterranean and Aegean seas.