Record-Breaking Day as Over 1,100 Migrants Cross the Channel

More than 1,100 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats on Saturday, marking the highest number of arrivals on a single day in 2025, according to Home Office data.

A total of 1,194 people made the journey in 18 small vessels, pushing the cumulative number of arrivals this year to 14,811—an increase of 42% compared to the same time last year and nearly double the number for the same point in 2023.

Defence Secretary John Healey, speaking on Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, criticized the current state of border management, stating that the UK had “lost control of its borders over the last five years.” He described the scenes of migrants being transported by smugglers as “like a taxi” and “shocking.”

Healey highlighted that an agreement with French authorities is in place to intercept smugglers at sea, with 184 individuals rescued by the French on Saturday. He emphasized the need to fully implement this strategy to stop these dangerous crossings.

A Home Office spokesperson added that the government is determined to end these perilous journeys and dismantle people-smuggling networks. “We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security,” the spokesperson said. “That is why this government has put together a serious plan to take down these networks at every stage.”

While nearly 37,000 people made the crossing in 2024, the record high of 1,305 daily arrivals was set on 3 September 2022.