Two small boats have reportedly already arrived in the UK this morning.
Small boat migrants (Image: PA)
Hundreds of migrants have made their way to the UK on small boats across the English Channel this morning. As many as seven boats packed with people crossed the English Channel on Saturday morning.
Today has seen a surge in the number of crossings after a month of bad weather made the conditions too deadly for the already perilous journey. The seven crossings bring to an end a 28-day hiatus, with insiders claiming that the absence of arrivals was due solely to unfavourable weather, with the Channel’s strong winds making it impossible to launch, the sole reason behind the break.
The hiatus in small boat crossings has been claimed to be just down to the weather (Image: Getty)
This view directly contradicts suggestions that anti-smuggling efforts were solely responsible for the nearly month-long gap, something that Labour figures have instead claimed was down to the Government’s efforts.
Tristan Osborne, Labour MP for Chatham and Aylesford, wrote on X: “A long way to go for sure… But finally, we are seeing the heavy work paying off. Under @UKLabour the longest stretch without boat crossings since the @Conservatives surge started.”
However, one maritime security source said: “It’s certainly been an unusually long spell without small boat activity. But the winds are at the root of this. Not only have they mainly been too strong for the migrant dinghies to make headway, they’ve also often been blowing in the wrong direction.
“It’s a mistake to conclude that it’s the war on people smugglers that’s making the impact on crossings. Today is the perfect illustration of what we have been expecting for some time.
Seven crossings are reported to be taking place today (Image: Getty)
“The second the winds ease enough to allow crossings, the people smugglers are back out there in force.”
To date this year, 39,294 migrants have arrived via small boats, exceeding the 36,816 recorded for the whole of 2024 but still below the 2022 record of 45,755. The recent weather-enforced lull is likely to prevent a new annual high.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The number of small boat crossings are shameful and the British people deserve better. 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.
“The Home Secretary has announced the most sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration in decades, removing the incentives that bring illegal migrants to the UK and scaling up the return of those with no right to be here.”
