Migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel in what are thought to be the first arrivals for July amid sunny and warm weather. Pictures show people in life jackets disembarking from a Border Security Command boat at Dover in Kent on Wednesday morning, where the Met Office forecast shows it is 23 degrees with a gentle breeze. Children appear to be among those being met by officials at the port.
Crossings and Statistics
The crossings are believed to be the first for July, with 63 arrivals last recorded on June 30, according to the latest Home Office figures. The data for Tuesday will be published later on Wednesday. Home Office figures show 11,884 people have made the journey across the English Channel so far this year as of Monday. This is 44% below arrivals at the same point last year (21,117), and 12% below 2024 (13,574).
Comparison with Previous Years
It comes as the number of migrants who arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel in the first half of the year fell sharply compared with the same period in 2025. Some 11,884 migrants arrived in the six months from the start of January to the end of June, according to Home Office data. This is 41% lower than the total that had reached the UK by that point last year, which was 19,982. It is also down 12% on the 13,489 who arrived in the first six months of 2024.
Factors Behind the Drop
The steep drop is likely to reflect a number of factors including the weather, the supply of small boat parts, Government policy and the flow of migrants into Europe from elsewhere in the world.
