More than 41,000 people crossed the English Channel in small boats last year, according to figures described as “shameful” by the Home Office. The total of 41,472 arrivals in 2025 is the second highest on record, behind only the 45,774 recorded in 2022.
The number of crossings was 13% higher than in 2024, though the pace slowed in the final two months of the year. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had pledged during the 2024 election campaign to “smash the gangs” and later negotiated a returns deal with France to deter crossings.
A Home Office spokesperson said the figures were “shameful and the British people deserve better”, but added that the government was taking action, including removing almost 50,000 people who were here illegally and implementing a deal with France to send back those who arrive on small boats.
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, called the government’s approach “a complete disaster” and “a farce”, while Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp argued that withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights was the only way to reduce crossings. The government has introduced the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act, which grants counter-terror-style powers to tackle people-smuggling gangs.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has also announced plans to overhaul the asylum system, including making refugee status temporary with reviews every 30 months and extending the wait for permanent settlement from five to 20 years. Enver Solomon of the Refugee Council criticised the plans, stating that most people crossing are fleeing oppression and that the proposed measures are not an effective deterrent.
