The number of migrants attempting to cross the Channel was declared a “major incident” by the government in 2018 following a rise in people using this route.
A combination of enhanced security at ports, a clamp down on other illegal routes, and the development of organised gangs have reportedly helped contribute to the rise in small boat crossings.
The government has also suggested that “red days” – when conditions are considered favourable for crossing the Channel – and the prevalence of overcrowded boats has increased in recent years.
About 128,000 crossings were made under previous Conservative governments between 2018 and 2024. Former Tory prime minister Rishi Sunak pledged to “stop the boats” in 2022, while Labour promised to “smash” the people-smuggling gangs making money from illegal Channel crossings when Sir Keir Starmer took power in 2024.
Since then more than 72,000 people have entered the UK this way. The majority of people making the crossing travel from France and go on to claim asylum in the UK, though not all of them are granted it.
The number of people taking this dangerous route each year peaked in 2022 when more than 45,000 people made the journey before dropping by several thousand the next year. The annual number of crossings has since risen gradually to similar levels in the past three years.
More than 7,380 people have crossed the Channel since January, which is 36% lower than the same period last year.
A Home Office spokesperson said the government was “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,” they added.
“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.”