Number of overcrowded small boats carrying more than 80 migrants across Channel quadruples
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Home Office draws link between Channel crossings and good weather
- The number of overcrowded small boats arriving in the UK, carrying over 80 people, has quadrupled in three years, with 33 boats in the year up to April 2025, compared to eight in the year to April 2022.
- Despite a decline in the overall number of dinghies arriving (from 1,116 in 2022 to 738 in 2025), more people are being crammed onto each vessel.
- The Home Office data indicates a doubling in the number of days with good weather conditions for Channel crossings this year, with 60 "red" days (high probability of migrant activity) recorded between January and April 2025, compared to 27 in the same period last year.
- A record number of 1,195 migrants arrived in the UK on a single day (Saturday) this year, travelling in 19 boats, contributing to a cumulative total of 14,812 arrivals for the year, the highest in the first five months since 2018.
- The government faces criticism for the rising numbers, with Labour's shadow home secretary Chris Philp accusing them of lacking a plan and blaming the weather, while organisations like Safe Passage International call for safe routes and expanded refugee family reunion.