Official counts show a long term surge in small boat crossings, raising fresh concerns about safety and the effectiveness of bilateral responses.

Since 2018, more than 200,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats, seeking a route to the United Kingdom.

“According to new data, since records began in 2018, more than 200,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats.”

– report

On Friday, 70 migrants arrived in the United Kingdom, and the total number of arrivals over nearly nine years reached 200,013 people.

Earlier British administrations promised to reduce migrant flows along this route and to halt the activity of smugglers who organize dangerous crossings. However, over the past three years, the number of arrivals by small boats has more than doubled, reaching a new historical high.

Context and dynamics of the migrant flow through the English Channel

According to the International Organization for Migration and French authorities, this year at least eight migrants have died while attempting to cross the English Channel in small boats. Last year, 23 people were confirmed dead.

In 2018, the British government described the situation with migrants trying to cross the English Channel as an “extraordinary event” after a sharp rise in the number of people choosing this route. It explained that tightened security at ports and the closing of other routes drove the increase in the Channel crossing.

The government also noted that recently the number of so-called red days – days with favorable weather conditions for crossing – has increased, and at the same time the number of overcrowded boats has risen.

According to the International Organization for Migration and French authorities, the number of migrants in the EU reached a record 64.2 million.

The peak of Channel crossings came in 2022, when more than 45,000 people used the route via the English Channel; the following year this figure fell by several thousand. Since then, the annual flow through the Channel has remained substantial and growing.

The United Kingdom and France have agreed to a new three-year deal aimed at curbing illegal migration through the English Channel and coordinating actions between the countries.

The situation remains a challenge for regional authorities and requires long-term collaboration and effective solutions from both countries and Europe as a whole.