Burak Bir
19 January 2026•Update: 19 January 2026
LONDON
As many as 317 people crossed the English Channel via five small boats on Saturday, the highest daily figure in 2026, according to the Home Office data on Sunday.
The figures revealed by the Home Office show that in total, some 520 migrants on nine small boats arrived in the UK so far this year.
On Jan. 5, migrants were detected crossing the channel for the first time in the new year.
The crossing comes after a year of elevated migration levels.
A total of 41,472 migrants navigated the English Channel in small boats in 2025 — nearly 5,000 more than in 2024.
The increase came despite enhanced measures by the UK government to curb irregular migration.
