The number of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats has reached its highest annual level since 2022, with more than 41,000 people making the journey in 2025, according to new government figures.
Provisional data released by the Home Office, with the final figure for New Year’s Eve still to be confirmed, shows that 41,472 migrants crossed the Channel over the past year. This represents a 13% increase on the 36,566 recorded in the previous 12-month period and is almost 5,000 higher year on year.
The annual total is the highest since 2022, when nearly 46,000 people crossed from northern France to the UK, highlighting the continued pressure on border controls despite repeated efforts to curb the crossings.
The government says it has increased enforcement activity and removals, while working more closely with the French authorities. Ministers say around 50,000 people who were in the UK illegally have already been removed and that cooperation with France is beginning to deliver results.
A Home Office spokesperson said, “The number of small boat crossings are shameful and the British people deserve better.”
They added, “This government is taking action. We have removed almost 50,000 people who were here illegally, and our historic deal with the French means those who arrive on small boats are now being sent back.”
Cross-Channel migration remains one of the most politically sensitive issues facing the government, with ministers under growing pressure to demonstrate that new measures can deliver a sustained reduction in arrivals.
