The United Kingdom has recorded another surge in irregular migration across the English Channel, with more than 1,000 people arriving in small boats within 24 hours, according to figures released by the Home Office on Thursday.
A total of 1,075 migrants crossed the Channel on 15 small boats on Wednesday, marking the fourth time this year that daily arrivals have exceeded 1,000. The latest wave of crossings pushes the total number of small boat arrivals in 2025 to 35,476, representing an increase of nearly one-third compared to the same period last year.
The figures place 2025 on course to become the record year for Channel crossings, despite the British government’s intensified efforts to deter migrants and strengthen border enforcement.
According to Home Office data, 1,195 migrants arrived on May 31, 1,101 on September 6, and 1,072 on September 19 — the latter coming just days after the introduction of the government’s new “one in, one out” migration deal with France.
Under the arrangement, asylum seekers arriving illegally in the UK by small boat can be detained and returned to France, while an equivalent number of migrants who applied through legal and safe routes are accepted into Britain.
In a statement, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the government’s return flights were “under way and ramping up,” stressing that the UK was determined to enforce its border laws.
“If you come here illegally, you face being detained and removed,” she warned. “So think twice before making that journey.”
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Mahmood confirmed that 19 migrants were flown to France on Thursday as part of the scheme, following seven deportations last month. She insisted that the system would “restore fairness” to the UK’s immigration process and reduce incentives for human smugglers.
The sharp increase in crossings has renewed public debate about Britain’s border policies, asylum processing capacity, and relations with France. While Downing Street maintains that the “one in, one out” deal is essential to reducing illegal migration, critics have questioned its humanitarian implications and long-term effectiveness.
The government is also expanding international cooperation to tackle organised migration crime. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced that she will host talks on immigration crime and border security with European allies on Thursday.
The meeting will bring together representatives from Albania, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as key European partners such as France, Germany, and Italy, to discuss joint strategies for tackling trafficking networks operating through the Western Balkans.
A Home Office spokesperson described the new migration numbers as “deeply concerning,” noting that “each small boat crossing represents lives put at risk by dangerous criminal enterprises exploiting vulnerable people.”
Britain’s Channel crossings have been a politically charged issue for years, dominating election debates and shaping public sentiment around immigration policy. Despite repeated government crackdowns, the flow of small boats shows no sign of slowing, underscoring the deepening challenge for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government as it seeks to balance compassion with control.
