More than 700 migrants arrived in the UK yesterday, setting a record for the highest number of daily crossings this year.
The Home Office said 705 migrants made the journey in 12 boats, exceeding the previous high for this year which was set on Saturday when 656 crossed in 11 boats.
More arrivals have been recorded in January to April 2025 than in the equivalent four-month period in any year since data on Channel crossings began in 2018, putting ministers under further pressure to find a solution to the small boats crisis.
The latest figures bring the number of 2025 arrivals to a provisional total of 8,888 which is 42 per cent higher than the 6,265 at the same point last year.
Yesterday’s arrivals figure of 705 is still below the record number for a single day, which was 1,305 on September 3, 2022.
But it means more than 32,000 people have made the crossing since Labour came to power in July last year and threw out the Rwanda asylum deal.
The Government has vowed to crack down on people-smuggling across the Channel by working with France and others to tackle the gangs behind it.
The FT reported that talks have begun to develop a pilot scheme based on ‘a one-for-one principle’ which could see a person deported from the UK in exchange for a person with a right to be in Britain sent from France. Asked about the reports, minister Lilian Greenwood did not rule out plans for a migrant removals agreement with the French.
More than 700 migrants arrived in the UK yesterday. Pictured: A group of small boat migrants are brought into Dover after crossing the Channel yesterday
The Prime Minister has vowed to ‘smash the gangs’ but yesterday’s figures suggest his policies are having little impact
She told Sky News: ‘This is going to take really hard work to tackle those organised gangs that are preying on people, putting their lives in danger as they try to cross the Channel to the UK.
‘Of course, that’s going to involve conversations with our counterparts on the European continent.’
Meanwhile, French coastguards said 30 migrants were rescued on Tuesday after a number of small boats were reported to have left the coast between Walde Lighthouse and Dunkirk, in northern France, and got into difficulty.
The numbers come after Labour scrapped the Tory plan to send small boat migrants to Rwanda.
Since then, the Prime Minister has vowed to ‘smash the gangs’ but yesterday’s figures suggest his policies are having little impact.
Last month, Sir Keir said he wanted to stop the ‘vile trade’ of people smuggling at an international summit on migration.
Though Sir Keir has claimed the Government has returned more than 24,000 migrants since the election, figures suggest only around 6,000 of these were forced returns. A Home Office spokesman said: ‘We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.
‘That’s why this Government is investing in border security, increasing returns to their highest levels for more than half a decade, and imposing a major crackdown on illegal working to end the false promise of jobs used by gangs to sell spaces on boats.’ Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: ‘Labour scrapped our deterrent before it even began and replaced it with nothing.
‘Now, crossings are surging, extremists and criminals are slipping through the net, and British taxpayers are picking up the bill.
‘Cancelling Rwanda was a catastrophic mistake, and now Britain is paying the price.’
