Small boat migrant crossings hit 50,000 under Labour

The number of migrants to cross the English Channel in small boats since Labour came to power last summer has surpassed 50,000.

Home Office data shows 50,271 people have made the journey, after 474 migrants arrived on Monday.

Separately, French authorities confirmed on Monday a female migrant died after trying to board a boat to make the crossing to the UK.

Government minister Baroness Smith told the BBC the crossings figure was an "unacceptable number of people" but pointed to the "one in, one out" returns deal with France as a deterrent.

But the Conservative Party said the totals showed Labour had "surrendered our borders".

The latest figures come as ministers continue to grapple with how to crack down on people-smuggling gangs – a key pledge of Sir Keir Starmer's when he became prime minister.

Baroness Smith said: "We understand how concerning this is to people."

She added that the migrant crossing figures showed people-smuggling gangs had taken an "absolute foothold in the tragic trafficking of people" in recent years but the government was now "making progress" on tackling this.

The "one in, one out" pilot will see the UK return some migrants to France in exchange for receiving the same number of asylum seekers who are believed to have legitimate claims.

Last week, a government source told the BBC several dozen migrants had been detained under the UK's new agreement with France so far, but did not provide a specific number.

The first returns are due to happen within weeks - but the initial numbers are expected to be small.

Figures released on Tuesday confirmed that the number of small boat crossings from the date that Labour came to power on 5 July last year had reached 50,000 by Monday, 11 August.

This is more than 13,000 higher than for the same period a year earlier - as between 5 July 2023 and 11 August 2024 there were 36,346 migrant crossings in small boats.

Government sources highlighted that this is not the first time 50,000 people have crossed the Channel during a 403-day period.

Between 8 October 2021 and 14 November 2022, under the previous Conservative government, there were 53,587 arrivals by small boat.

Government sources say there were an unusually high number of days with calm and warm weather at the start of this year, which partially contributed to the high number of crossings.

But the Tories accused Labour of overseeing the "worst illegal immigration crisis in our history".

"This is a taxpayer-funded ferry service for the people-smuggling trade. Every illegal immigrant should be removed immediately upon arrival," said shadow home secretary Chris Philp.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: "As I predicted five years ago, unless we deport illegal migrants the invasion will be huge. 50,000 since this weak prime minister took office and there is no sign of it stopping."

The Home Office said it wants to end dangerous small boat crossings and had put together a "serious plan" to take down networks.

But politically the 50,000 milestone is deeply uncomfortable for the government, given its promise to smash the gangs that drive the small boat crossings.

More migrants crossed the Channel between January and August 2025 than in the same period last year.

Government sources argue there is no silver bullet to bring the numbers down but insist a series of practical changes, such as measures to tackle illegal working and deport foreign criminals more quickly, are planks in a wider plan to address the problem.

Baroness Smith said the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which is going through Parliament, would give ministers greater powers to "challenge the gangs".

Other measures announced include prison sentences of up to five years for criminals advertising illegal Channel crossings online, and increased funding for more National Crime Agency officers.

Asked about the Tories' suggestion that only a very small number of people will be deported under the "one in, one out" pilot scheme, Baroness Smith said the previous Conservative government's Rwanda deportation scheme "cost £700m and was never designed for more than six people a week".

The latest moves also come in the wake of a series of protests and counter demonstrations outside UK hotels which are used to house asylum seekers.

"People do not cross the Channel unless what lies behind them is more terrifying than what lies ahead," said Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council charity.

The charity's frontline workers say the men, women and children travelling in small boats are "often fleeing places like Sudan, where war has left them with nowhere else to turn", he added.

"To stop smugglers for good, the government must expand safe and legal routes, such as allowing family members to travel to be with their loved ones who are already settled in the UK," he said.

"Without these measures, desperate people will continue to take dangerous journeys, and the criminal gangs are likely to simply adapt their approaches."