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A record 1,194 migrants arrived in the UK on Saturday after crossing the Channel in small boats, marking the highest single-day total for this year.
This surge brings the total number of crossings for 2025 to an unprecedented 14,808, despite ongoing efforts by both French and UK authorities to curb the dangerous journeys.
French coastal authorities also reported rescuing nearly 200 migrants between Friday evening and Saturday night.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey described the latest arrivals as “shocking,” though they fell short of the all-time daily record of 1,300 set in September 2022.
However, these figures present a significant challenge for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has been intensifying his rhetoric on irregular immigration amid pressure from the far-right Reform party to reduce migrant numbers.
The Home Office issued a statement reiterating the government’s desire to end “dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.”
Earlier this month, Starmer unveiled stricter immigration policies, including extending the period before migrants can qualify for settlement and granting new powers to deport foreign criminals.
These measures were widely seen as an attempt to regain public support and counter the rising popularity of the hard-right Reform party.
Legislation aimed at tackling irregular immigration, known as the Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill, is currently moving through parliament.
Saturday’s crossings deliver a fresh blow, as the overall figure of 14,808 crossings for the first five months of 2025 is the highest since records began in 2018, when the Channel route first became popular. It also surpasses the previous record for the first six months of any year, which stood at around 12,900 in the first half of 2024.
On Saturday, French maritime authorities conducted four rescue operations, picking up 184 people. In one incident, a boat with 61 people experienced engine failure, while another with nine individuals called for assistance. According to an AFP tally, 15 people have died attempting to cross the Channel this year.
Defence Secretary Healey, speaking on Sunday, called the recent scenes “pretty shocking,” observing smugglers “coming around like a taxi to pick them up,” and asserting that “Britain’s lost control of its borders.”
He highlighted that France has agreed to allow its police to intercept migrants in shallow waters, but they are currently unable to stop boats already underway.
Healey stressed the need to “push them to get that into operation” to enable intervention in shallow waters.
