Bank holiday weekend sees 871 migrants cross Channel

More than 28,000 migrants have reached the UK in small boats so far in 2025

More than 870 migrants crossed the English Channel over the bank holiday weekend, Home Office figures showed.

Although no migrants crossed the Channel on Saturday, 212 people arrived on Sunday in four boats, and 659 were recorded across nine boats on Monday.

More than 28,000 migrants have reached the UK in small boats so far in 2025 and more than 50,000 have crossed since Labour came into power in July 2024.

The Home Office said it wanted to end "dangerous" small boat crossings and would "stop at nothing to dismantle" people-smuggling gangs.

The Home Office added: "We are strengthening international partnerships and boosting our ability to identify, disrupt, and dismantle criminal gangs whilst strengthening the security of our borders."

Earlier in August the new "one in, one out" agreement with France took effect, which proposed that for each migrant the UK returns to France, another person with a strong case for asylum in Britain would be allowed to stay.

The 25,000 mark for migrants reaching the UK in small boats was passed at the end of July, much earlier than in previous years.

Before 2025 the record was back in 2022 when the milestone was not passed until 27 August.

A total of 1,195 people arrived in 19 small boats in one day back in June.