More than 25,000 people have crossed the English Channel into the United Kingdom so far this year, the highest number on record for this point in the calendar since monitoring began in 2018, according to figures released Thursday. The surge is reigniting political tensions over immigration as opposition parties attack Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s handling of undocumented arrivals.
Nearly 900 people arrived on British shores in 13 small boats on Wednesday alone, pushing the 2025 total to 25,436. The dangerous journey has claimed dozens of lives in recent years, yet crossings have continued to rise despite government pledges of tougher enforcement and expanded cooperation with France.
Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp sharply criticised the Labour government’s response.
“Almost 900 people crossed the Channel yesterday, meaning 25,000 people, mainly young men, have crossed the Channel this year. 2025 is the worst year on record so far, and the Labour Government are doing nothing to stop the crossings,” Philp said.
He argued that Starmer’s recently announced “one in, one out” migrant returns deal with France would fail to deliver results:
“It would take 10 years for [Home Secretary] Yvette Cooper to deport the illegal immigrants that have arrived since the start of this year alone under her so-called deal, which still hasn’t started,” Philp added.
The pilot arrangement, announced earlier this month, promises that for every individual sent back to France, another person will be allowed entry through a safe and legal route after strict security checks, provided they have not previously tried to enter the UK illegally. Starmer defended the deal as a “balanced and fair approach” aimed at dismantling people-smuggling networks while maintaining humanitarian pathways.
But the Conservative Party has reiterated calls to detain and deport all new arrivals immediately and has hinted at withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights if legal barriers persist.
Right-wing Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also weighed in on Thursday, writing on social media:
“898 illegals crossed the English Channel yesterday. This means more hotels, more costs and more people who should not be here. The public have had ENOUGH!”
The record pace of arrivals comes amid growing far-right protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers in parts of England, including violent demonstrations in Epping, north of London.
US President Donald Trump, who has made strict immigration enforcement a hallmark of his second term, praised the UK’s efforts but admitted he was not fully briefed on the specifics of the Channel crossings.
“The government is doing a fantastic thing,” Trump said, “but I know nothing about the boats.”
With input from Al Jazeera
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