In a stark new approach to the small boats crisis, the UK government has authorised the use of graphic and disturbing imagery to warn migrants of the fatal dangers of crossing the English Channel.
Shock Tactics Authorised
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has personally approved the deployment of leaflets featuring pictures not normally permitted in advertising campaigns. These materials, which are being distributed to asylum seekers in France, are designed to serve as a brutal reality check.
The new leaflets depict harrowing scenes, including one of a person struggling to keep their head above water in icy seas. The accompanying caption delivers a blunt message: “Don’t waste your money. Don’t risk your life. Don’t cross the Channel.”
Another leaflet warns of the horrific conditions onboard, stating: “People get trampled on and crushed to death in these overcrowded boats. Many children have died this way. By getting on a boat, you could kill someone else – including a child.”
The Scale of the Crisis
This hard-line communications strategy comes as the government faces a significant challenge in reducing the number of small boat crossings. Official figures reveal that as of October 21, 36,734 migrants had arrived in the UK via this route in 2025 alone, making it the second highest annual figure on record after 2022.
The peril of the journey is underscored by the tragic fact that since 2019, more than 160 people have lost their lives attempting the crossing. The risks are being exacerbated by people smugglers who are cramming more individuals into fewer vessels. The average number of people per boat has risen to 56 in the year to June, up from 51 the previous year.
Broader Reforms and International Cooperation
This campaign is part of a wider set of reforms to be unveiled by the Home Secretary next week. Ms Mahmood is expected to model elements of the UK's new system on Denmark's stricter asylum framework, which includes tighter rules on family reunion and grants most refugees only temporary status.
The leaflet initiative is a joint effort with the French government. It supplements other measures, such as giant digital billboards installed along key people-smuggling routes in northern France in September.
Commenting on the strategy, Border Security Minister Alex Norris said: “Anyone hoping to enter the UK illegally must be shown the stark truth: if you try to cross in a small boat, you and your family could die. This Government will not stand by and let people smugglers peddle these illegal, dangerous journeys using lies and deceit.”
Meanwhile, a pilot returns agreement with France, agreed in July, has so far seen 94 people returned. However, the scheme's challenges are highlighted by the fact that two migrants who were removed subsequently made the journey back to Britain and had to be detained again.
