Figures show that the UK has experienced its longest period without migrants arriving on small boats since 2018. So far this year, 39,292 people have crossed the Channel by small boats, making 2025 the second-highest year on record after 2022, when 45,774 arrivals were recorded.
Border Force vessels were active in the English Channel on Saturday morning, and around 160 people from two small boats are thought to have been rescued.
The government has recently increased efforts to deter dangerous Channel crossings, though these measures are not expected to have a noticeable effect until next year. December is typically one of the quietest months for crossings due to poor visibility, low temperatures, limited daylight, and stormy conditions. The highest number of arrivals recorded in December was 3,254, in 2024.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy met with ministers from other European countries this week as talks continue over potential reforms to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Although small boat arrivals represent only a tiny fraction of overall UK immigration, they have become a high-profile political issue in recent years. Last month, French maritime authorities announced plans to begin intercepting boats in the Channel to prevent dangerous crossings.
LawSentis, a UK-based immigration and legal advisory firm, is monitoring these developments closely and provides expert guidance on immigration and Channel crossing-related issues.