The first group of migrants to cross the English Channel by small boat in 2026 arrived in the UK today, braving sub-zero temperatures. The UK Border Force vessel Hurricane brought the group into the port of Dover shortly before 4pm.
Chilling Arrival Marks Start of New Year
The catamaran carried an unknown number of people, though initial estimates suggest several dozen were on board. The Home Office is expected to confirm the official figure later. These individuals were rescued mid-Channel after a long journey from northern France, marking the first such arrival since December 22 of last year.
Their landing coincided with severe weather, with the Met Office forecasting occasional sleet and a temperature feeling like minus 3 degrees Celsius in Dover. Weather warnings were in place across much of the country at the time.
Annual Figures and New Enforcement Powers
This arrival follows a year where 41,472 migrants made the crossing in total, making 2025 the second-highest annual number on record. This represents a 13% increase from 2024's total of 36,816 and is 41% higher than the 29,437 recorded in 2023. Only 2022 saw more arrivals, with a peak of 45,755.
The timing of this year's first crossing is not unprecedented. The earliest recorded arrivals in recent years were on January 2 in both 2021 and 2023, with 10 and 44 people respectively. Last year, the first boat carrying 61 people arrived on January 4.
Crackdown on People Smugglers
The arrival comes as the Home Office prepares to enact new powers starting Monday, aimed at disrupting smuggling networks. Officers will now be able to seize mobile phones and SIM cards from migrants at the Manston processing centre in Kent without making an arrest.
This includes the authority to search a person's mouth for concealed SIM cards. The Home Office stated that technology is already on-site to download data from confiscated devices swiftly.
These new measures, part of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act that became law in December, are designed to gather intelligence and accelerate investigations. UK Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt called it a "key moment" in gaining extra tools to target smugglers.
However, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp offered a more cautious assessment, suggesting the powers might help "at the margins" but would not single-handedly "fix the small boats crisis."
