More than 50,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats since Keir Starmer became prime minister, official figures have confirmed.
Home Office figures released on Tuesday showed that 50,271 people, most of whom successfully claim asylum, have arrived in the UK from France since Labour won the general election in July 2024. A total of 474 people arrived on Monday.
The unwanted milestone comes as the issue of irregular migration, and where to house asylum seekers while their claims are being processed, continues to haunt the government.
Starmer came into power 13 months ago careful to avoid repeating the last government’s promise to “Stop the Boats”. However, the prime minister has promised to “smash the gangs” behind Channel crossings.
Figures show, however, that despite a number of initiatives from the Home Office in conjunction with other European governments, the number of people who arrived in the UK via small boats in the first half of this year was 48% higher than in the same period last year.
Rishi Sunak, the last Conservative prime minister, took 603 days in office to pass the 50,000 milestone, while it took Boris Johnson 1,066 days during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The government is increasing its efforts to bring down migration, announcing on Friday that the new “one in, one out” returns deal with France was up and running.
The Home Office has also expanded its “deport now, appeal later” scheme, under which foreign criminals have been deported before their appeals have been heard.
Reports claiming that the 50,000 figure would be reached on Tuesday are “unacceptable”, an education minister said, shortly before the figures were released officially.
Lady Jacqui Smith of Malvern, a former home secretary under Gordon Brown, said it showed how embedded criminal gangs had become under the previous Conservative government.
Official figures from Monday suggested 49,797 people had crossed in small boats from northern France.
She told BBC Breakfast: “It is an unacceptable number of people. It sort of demonstrates the way over the last six or seven years that the criminal gangs have got an absolute foothold in the tragic trafficking of people across the Channel.”