Four migrants have died attempting to reach the UK across the English Channel, as 752 people arrived on Wednesday — the highest single-day total this year, averaging 84 per boat. The Home Office confirmed the figure, reinforcing fears that criminal gangs are using larger vessels, with some dinghies carrying over 100 people.
Deaths during crossings
One man died after spending 16 hours on a boat that travelled 124 miles, according to French reports. The dinghy departed from Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer in Seine-Maritime at 7am. About 100 people tried to climb on board between Hardelot and Dannes, leading to the death of one of the few already on the vessel. The dinghy continued to UK waters, where two Border Force vessels collected the asylum seekers.
Three women were found dead on a “taxi boat” in Dunkirk. Another man died and six people were injured, including a small baby, during an attempted crossing overnight.
Political reaction
US President Donald Trump warned Prime Minister Andy Burnham that mass migration is “killing your country”, calling it “an invasion”. Burnham, visiting Cumbria on Thursday, said “progress is being made on all fronts” and praised the Home Secretary’s efforts, but admitted more work is needed to “get the numbers right down”.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: “Successive governments failed to stop the boats because they were trying to fix the symptoms, not the cause. If people know they can stay and claim benefits, they’ll keep coming. If they know they’ll be removed, they won’t come.” She outlined the Conservative Borders Plan to leave the ECHR and ban asylum claims from illegal entrants.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “Illegal Channel crossings are extremely dangerous and put lives at risk. Every one of these tragic deaths was preventable. The only way to save lives is to stop the crossings completely.”
Smugglers' tactics
National Crime Agency deputy director Dan Cannatella-Barcroft said: “Crime groups involved in Channel small boat crossings are using ever more dangerous and unseaworthy boats, callously overcrowding them for profit while increasing the risk to life.” He noted that boats are manufactured in Europe or Asia specifically for smugglers, and that law enforcement activity has increased costs and changed routes.
Criminal gangs have spread further south in France, launching from beaches in Dieppe and attempting crossings from Fécamp. Warships now patrol a 70-mile stretch between Dieppe and Le Touquet. Three warships were in the region on Wednesday — a level usually reserved for Calais and Dunkirk.
Government response
New intelligence seen by the Daily Express suggests the Home Office believes France is becoming a “less viable launch point”. Border security commander Duncan Capps told the Home Secretary this month: “We are in a vastly better place than 18 months ago. As of June 2026, the number of migrants reaching the UK by small boat is down by 41% year-to-date compared to 2025. This number is the lowest at this point in the year since 2023.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “This Government is bearing down on small boat crossings, with removals of small boat migrants at record levels and asylum claims down by 12%. The Home Secretary has signed a landmark new payments by results deal with France to boost enforcement action on beaches and put people smugglers behind bars. This builds on joint work that has stopped over 46,000 attempted crossings since the election. We have removed or deported almost 70,000 people who were here illegally – an increase of 41%.”
The provisional total for the year so far stands at 14,128.
