Dozens of migrants have been pictured crammed onto an overloaded inflatable dinghy during the first dangerous crossing of the English Channel in 2026, braving freezing winter conditions to reach the UK.
Chaotic Scenes on a Winter's Day
Dramatic images show the low-slung vessel, packed with people sitting shoulder-to-shoulder along its sides, cutting through the grey sea towards Britain. Many of the occupants wore dark clothing and life jackets against the bitter cold.
Further photographs captured the chaotic moment of arrival in shallow water, with individuals tumbling from the dinghy as they reached shore. Other images showed French riot police on a beach confronting a group of adults and children, including a small child wrapped in a bright orange life jacket.
A Pattern of Perilous Crossings
This group is believed to be the first to cross the Channel since Wednesday, January 3rd, when official figures recorded 171 migrants arriving in the UK aboard three boats. The first small boat migrants of the new year actually landed on January 5th in sub-zero temperatures.
The UK Border Force catamaran Hurricane brought this latest group into Dover harbour just before 4pm. While the exact number aboard is not yet officially confirmed by the Home Office, it is thought to be several dozen. These individuals had been picked up mid-Channel after a lengthy journey from northern France.
This landing marks the first successful crossing since December 22nd. The incident comes against a backdrop of high annual arrivals, with 41,472 migrants reaching the UK by small boat in 2025. This was the second-highest annual number on record, being 13% higher than the 2024 total of 36,816 and 41% higher than the 2023 figure of 29,437. Only 2022 saw more arrivals, with 45,755.
New Powers and Ongoing Challenges
The crossing occurred in treacherous conditions. The Met Office had forecast occasional sleet across the Dover Strait, with temperatures in Kent feeling as low as -3C. French officials reported that two other migrant groups were returned to France after failed attempts, including one group of about 30 people found suffering from severe hypothermia.
This latest arrival coincides with the introduction of new enforcement powers. From Monday, officers will be able to seize mobile phones and SIM cards from migrants at the Manston processing centre in Kent without making an arrest, as part of efforts to gather intelligence on smuggling networks. The Home Office has confirmed technology is on site to download data from the devices.
These powers, enabled by the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act which became law in December, are intended to speed up investigations. The UK's Border Security Commander, Martin Hewitt, described the move as a 'key moment' providing extra tools to target smugglers. However, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp cautioned that while it may help 'at the margins', it 'will not fix the small boats crisis'.
