Migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel in the first small boat crossing for nearly two weeks. Pictures from Dover in Kent on Friday showed people in lifejackets being led from a Border Security Command vessel.
A break in the recent poor weather allowed for several crossing attempts on Friday, with temperatures expected to soar over the bank holiday weekend. The crossing is the first since 9 May, bringing the total number of arrivals this month to more than 1,000.
However, the number of arrivals is down 44% on this time last year and 23% on the same point in 2024. Experts attribute this to factors including weather, small boat parts supply, government policy, and migrant numbers entering Europe.
It comes after UK net migration dropped to an estimated 171,000 last year, the lowest level since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The figures for the 12 months to December are down 48% compared with the previous year (331,000), according to the Office for National Statistics.
This is the first time the estimate has fallen below 200,000 since the Covid-19 outbreak. The figures could lead to renewed calls for Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s immigration policies to be watered down. Marley Morris from the Institute for Public Policy Research said the Government’s progress “should prompt a more measured debate”.
