The total number of migrants and refugees that have arrived in the UK by small boats has surpassed 200,000 since records began in 2018. The latest Home Office figures showed that 70 people crossed the English Channel in small boats on Friday.
The figures will serve a blow to Sir Keir Starmer’s government, which has repeatedly promised to take strong action to tackle people-smuggling gangs and reduce the number of people making the dangerous crossing since coming to office.
Despite its efforts, crossings of the Channel have soared, with 41,472 people arriving in the UK by small boat in 2025. This was up from 36,816 in 2024, and 29,437 in 2023. The highest number of crossings were in 2022, when around 46,000 made the journey to the UK.
Two women died while trying to cross the Channel last Sunday following six other fatalities in April.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “This government is bearing down on small boat crossings. The home secretary has signed a landmark new deal with France to boost enforcement action on beaches and put people smugglers behind bars. This builds on joint work that has stopped over 42,000 illegal migrants attempting to cross the channel since the election. We have removed or deported almost 60,000 people who were here illegally and are going further to remove the incentives that draw illegal migrants to this country.”
Shabana Mahmood is the latest home secretary to look at overhauling the asylum system in a bid to deter crossings and make it easier to deport migrants. Last month, she signed a three-year deal with France to pay £662m to boost beach patrols in an effort to curb crossings.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the immigration system was “totally broken”, adding: “Labour are failing to remove illegal immigrants, so it is no wonder they keep flooding in, as they know they will almost certainly get to stay. Among them are many who go on to commit serious crimes, including murder, rape and the sexual assault of young girls. This situation is a disgrace.”
