A total of 1,194 migrants crossed the English Channel into the United Kingdom on Saturday alone — the highest daily figure so far this year — in a development that has further intensified the political row over border control.
The UK Home Office, in figures compiled by AFP, disclosed that the new arrivals have pushed the number of crossings in 2025 to 14,808, the highest for the first five months of any year since records began in 2018.
Saturday’s spike in crossings came despite coordinated British-French efforts to tackle the surge in small boat migrations. French coastal authorities also confirmed the rescue of nearly 200 individuals from the Channel between Friday night and Saturday evening, underlining the continued dangers of the crossing route.
Among the incidents reported, a vessel carrying 61 people reportedly suffered engine failure mid-sea, while another group of nine was forced to call for emergency assistance.
Speaking on the influx, UK Defence Secretary, John Healey, described the scenes as “pretty shocking” in an interview with Sky News on Sunday. He recounted how people smugglers appeared to be operating “like a taxi service”, adding that “Britain’s lost control of its borders.”
The development has triggered fresh pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with right-wing parties and voters amplifying calls for tougher immigration laws and enforcement.
In a statement reacting to the weekend surge, the Home Office reiterated the government’s stance: “We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.”
To address the crisis, the Starmer-led government has introduced a raft of policies, including an extension to the waiting period for migrants to become eligible for settlement and the granting of broader powers to deport foreign nationals convicted of crimes.
A comprehensive legislation tagged the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill is also currently undergoing review in Parliament.
Despite these interventions, the latest figure remains alarmingly close to the all-time daily record of 1,300 crossings set in September 2022.
So far in 2025, no fewer than 15 individuals have lost their lives attempting the perilous journey across the English Channel — one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors.
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