Newly released data shows that the number of people who have made the perilous journey across the English Channel in small boats has now surpassed 41,000 for the year 2025. This milestone was reached following a significant surge in activity over the weekend.
A Significant Weekend Surge in Crossings
The latest incident involved a flurry of 13 dinghies departing from the northern coast of France. A total of 803 individuals undertook the dangerous crossing, starting overnight on Friday and continuing into Saturday. This marks the highest single-day number of arrivals since October 8, when 1,075 people crossed in one day.
Furthermore, this weekend's figure appears to set a new record for a day in December, based on comparable data stretching back to 2018. The crossings contributed to a sharp rise in the annual total.
Annual Total Climbs Past 41,000
With the addition of the weekend's arrivals, the cumulative number of Channel crossings for 2025 now stands at 41,455 people. The ongoing situation was visibly apparent on Saturday morning when a Border Force vessel was seen bringing a group of people, believed to be migrants, into the port of Dover following an incident in the Channel.
This landing came after a notably busy night for maritime activity, during which observers reported a large number of boats leaving the shores of France. The consistent flow of small boat arrivals continues to present a major operational and policy challenge for the UK government.
