Blow for Starmer as second highest number of migrant Channel crossings despite Labour crackdown
Small boat crossings surge despite Labour pledge to cut numbers
- Sir Keir Starmer's Labour government recorded 41,472 migrants arriving via small boats in 2025, marking the second-highest annual figure on record.
- It represents a 13 per cent increase from 2024 and a 41 per cent rise from 2023, despite Labour's pledge to reduce Channel crossings.
- The total for 2025 is 9 per cent below the 2022 peak, meaning almost 65,000 migrants have arrived since Labour came to power.
- Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood introduced reforms in November, proposing temporary refugee status and a 20-year wait for permanent settlement.
- The average number of people per boat increased to 62 in 2025, and at least 17 people died attempting the crossing.