The first migrants to reach the UK by small boat in 2026 have arrived in Dover, making a perilous crossing of the English Channel during a severe cold spell.
Arrival in Bitter Conditions
On Monday 5 January 2026, a group of people, believed to be migrants, were photographed disembarking from a Border Force vessel at the compound in Dover, Kent. This marks the initial recorded arrival of the new year. The crossing occurred as the Met Office forecast occasional sleet for the Dover Strait, with temperatures in the Kent port town feeling as low as minus three degrees Celsius.
Official imagery from the scene showed officials handling a stretcher, indicating potential medical attention was required upon arrival. The Home Office has been approached for comment regarding this specific incident.
Annual Figures and Historical Context
This arrival follows a year where 41,472 migrants crossed the Channel to the UK in 2025, according to Home Office data. This represents the second-highest annual total on record.
The 2025 figure was 13% higher than the 36,816 who made the journey in 2024, and a significant 41% increase from the 2023 total of 29,437. It remained, however, 9% below the all-time peak of 45,774 recorded in 2022.
In terms of calendar timing, the first crossings in 2021 and 2023 were recorded on January 2, with 10 and 44 people respectively. Last year, the first arrivals of 61 people were documented on January 4. Updated official figures from the Home Office on the latest arrivals are expected to be published on Tuesday.
New Powers to Seize Phones and SIM Cards
Coinciding with this arrival, new enforcement powers came into effect on Monday. As part of the government's strategy to gather intelligence and disrupt people-smuggling networks, officers can now seize mobile phones and SIM cards from migrants without making an arrest.
These powers, enacted under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act passed in December, will be applied at the Manston processing centre in Kent. Authorities will also have the power to search an individual's mouth for concealed SIM cards. The Home Office stated that technology is already on-site to download data from confiscated devices.
Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt described the move as a "key moment," providing extra tools to target smugglers. However, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp argued that while the measure might help "at the margins," it would not resolve the small boats crisis.
The charity Freedom From Torture criticised the policy, calling subjecting migrants to "invasive searches" immediately after a dangerous crossing "profoundly inhumane." They urged ministers to focus on expanding safe and legal routes to prevent such perilous journeys.
