How many people cross the Channel in small boats?
- Published
More than 30,000 people have crossed the English Channel since the start of year.
The latest Home Office statistics show that almost two-fifths of those who claimed asylum in the UK in the 12 months to June 2025 arrived via small boat.
Under a new agreement between the British and French governments, some people who come to the UK this way will be detained and sent back to France.
How many people cross the Channel in small boats?
As of 8 September, 30,164 people had crossed the Channel in small boats in 2025, up from 22,440 for the same period in 2024.
It means more than 50,000 people came to the UK via this route in the 403 days after Labour came to power in July 2024.
However, it is not the first time that the 50,000 threshold has been passed in that time frame.
There were 53,587 small boat arrivals between 8 October 2021 and 14 November 2022, under the previous Conservative government.
In 2024 as a whole, nearly 37,000 people were detected making the crossing - 25% more than in 2023.
The highest yearly total was recorded in 2022, when 45,755 people arrived.
More than 180,000 people have arrived in small boats since figures were first recorded in 2018.
Small boat arrivals are a small percentage of the UK's overall immigration figure. In 2024, an estimated 948,000 people arrived expecting to stay at least a year. An estimated 517,000 people left the country.
How many people die crossing the Channel?
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN agency, tracks the number of people who die attempting to cross the Channel, external.
Its figures include people who were travelling to a crossing point and died in other circumstances, such as car crashes or because of medical issues.
The IOM estimates that at least 82 migrants died in 2024, making it the deadliest year on record.
As at 15 August it said that at least 23 people had died on this route in 2025. That takes the total number of migrants who have lost their lives since 2018 to 252.
The Refugee Council has said that the dangers of crossings have increased, with more people crammed into less seaworthy boats, external.
How does the 'one in, one out' deal work?
Under a pilot scheme which began in August, UK officials can make referrals for returns to France within three days of someone's arrival by small boat.
French authorities can then identify the same number of asylum seekers currently in France who intend to come to the UK but have not tried to cross.
Those who pass security and eligibility checks can be relocated to the UK and given three months to claim asylum or apply for a visa. They are not allowed to work, study or have access to benefits during this time.
Reports suggested that 50 people a week could be selected, but the government has not confirmed that figure. The pilot is expected to last for 11 months.
Critics - including the Conservatives - say the numbers returned to France are likely to be a very small proportion of those crossing.
At the start of September Home Secretary Yvette Cooper declined to say how many people had been sent back to France so far, arguing that the scheme was in the "first phase" and part of a "step-by-step" approach.
What other measures has the government introduced to cut numbers?
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says the government's primary tactic is to "smash" the gangs trafficking people for huge profits.
In July, it announced that 25 people including gang leaders and small boat suppliers had had their assets frozen and been banned from travelling to the UK.
An extra 300 National Crime Agency officers will target the people-smugglers arranging the crossings, and a new Border Security Command body, external will work closely with the Home office, police, immigration enforcement and intelligence agencies.
The UK is also paying France almost £500m over three years - as agreed by the previous Conservative government - to fund extra officers on the French coast.
Toughened rules mean it is now almost impossible for anyone who arrives in the UK on a small boat to become a British citizen.
In August the government said it would overhaul the asylum appeals system as part of efforts to cut the number of migrants staying in hotels while they await a ruling.
In September it said it was suspending new applications to the scheme which lets refugees bring their family members to the UK. They will have to meet the same criteria as other migrants who want their dependants to come, including salary, accommodation and English language requirements.
It also warned foreign students that they will be removed if they stay in the UK after their visas expire.
The charity Asylum Matters has argued for a complete rethink of the government's asylum policy, saying: "The only way to stop people from making dangerous journeys is to give them real safe routes to seek sanctuary."
Who is crossing the Channel in small boats?
The latest Home Office figures show that Afghans were the top nationality arriving via this route in the year to June 2025, external, accounting for 15% of all small boat arrivals (6,400).
Eritrea made up the second largest group with 5,975 arrivals, followed by people from Iran, Syria, Sudan and Vietnam.
In the year to June 2025, 88% of all so-called "irregular arrivals" to the UK came across the English Channel.
Of the 111,984 people who claimed asylum in the period, 39% (43,600) arrived this way, external.
The Home Office can remove people with no legal right to stay in the UK, or refuse to let them enter. But the 1951 Refugee Convention establishes the right to claim asylum in a foreign state if an applicant can prove they face a serious threat to life or freedom in their country of origin.
There are some exceptions for serious criminals who can be legitimately turned away.
In the year ending June 2025, 2,330 people who had arrived by small boat we returned to their home country, external, 7% fewer than in the previous 12-month period.
The vast majority (75%) were Albanian nationals. Turkish and Iraqi nationals were the two next most common nationalities, together accounting for 12% of small boat returns.
Between 2018 and June 2025, 6,313 people who came to the UK in small boats were returned to their home country - about 4% of the total who arrived this way.
How do UK small boat arrivals compare with those to Europe?
There were almost 189,000 arrivals by sea in Europe during 2024, external, with Italy receiving more than a third.
Greece and Spain also received large numbers.
As at 10 August, there had been 82,419 arrivals by sea since the start of 2025, with the majority recorded in Italy.
In the year ending September 2024, 1.1 million people claimed asylum in the EU and European Economic Area (EEA), down 3% compared with the previous year.
Germany received the most applicants - 294,415. France was second (162,390) followed by Italy (162,305) and Spain (161,470).