Migrants crossing English Channel surpass 1,000 in 2025
129 crossed Channel via 2 small boats Tuesday, bringing number to 1,019, according to data
Migrants to cross to the UK and left out at sea in Kent, United Kingdom
LONDON
More than 1,000 migrants have been detected crossing the English Channel via small boats in 2025, according to Home Office data on Wednesday.
Figures showed 129 people crossed the Channel via two small boats on Tuesday, bringing the number for the year to 1,019.
The migrants made their journey via 18 small boats in total, it said.
The UK also reported this year's single-day record was Jan. 13, when migrants were detected in the Channel.
The first crossing was reported Jan. 4, with 61 migrants arriving in the UK.
The number of migrants arriving in the UK via the English Channel increased 25% in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to the Home Office.
A total of 36,816 people made the perilous journey by small boats in 2024, up from 29,437 in 2023.
