Migrants, including children, arrived in the UK on Wednesday morning after crossing the English Channel in the first such arrivals recorded for July. The group was seen disembarking from a Border Security Command boat at Dover, Kent, under sunny skies with temperatures reaching 23°C and a gentle breeze, according to the Met Office.
Officials met the arrivals at the port, with children among those being processed. The crossings are the first of the month, following 63 arrivals on June 30, the last recorded figures from the Home Office.
Year-to-Date Figures
As of Tuesday, a total of 11,884 migrants have made the journey across the English Channel in 2025. This represents a 44% decrease compared to the same period last year, when 21,117 had arrived, and is 12% lower than the 13,574 recorded by this point in 2024.
The Home Office data also shows that arrivals in the first half of 2025 fell sharply compared to previous years. From January to June, 11,884 migrants reached the UK, down 41% from 19,982 in the same period of 2024 and 12% below the 13,489 who arrived in the first six months of 2025.
Factors Behind the Decline
The steep drop is likely influenced by multiple factors, including weather conditions, the availability of small boat parts, government policies, and shifts in migrant flows from Europe and elsewhere. The Home Office continues to monitor the situation as part of its Border Security Command operations.
