Number of migrants arriving in UK in small boats in one day reached record high in 2025
According to data published by the British government on June 1st, nearly 1,200 migrants arrived in the country on Saturday on small boat from France across the English Channel — the highest one-day figure in 2025, The Associated Press reports
According to the latest data from the UK Home Office, 1,194 migrants arrived in 18 boats on May 31st, bringing the provisional annual total so far to 14,811.
“That’s 42 percent higher than the same point last year, an increase that has piled pressure on the Labour government, which returned to power nearly a year ago partly on disillusionment with the previous Conservative administration’s efforts to get a grip on the numbers making the crossing,” the article reads.
UK PM Keir Starmer has said that his government will bring order by cracking down on gangs and business models that support smuggling operations.
“Despite French and UK efforts, the cross-Channel route, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, remains a major smuggling corridor for people fleeing conflict or poverty. Many migrants favour the UK for reasons of language, family ties or perceived easier access to asylum and work,” the publication adds.
