The number of migrants who have crossed the English Channel to the UK since 2018 is now believed to have surpassed 200,000, following recent arrivals. Dozens of individuals were observed reaching Dover, Kent, on Friday morning, pushing the total past this significant milestone.
Analysis of Government Figures
Analysis, based on government figures, indicates that 199,943 people had made the perilous journey to the UK as of Thursday, May 7, since records began on January 1, 2018. Official Home Office statistics are anticipated to confirm this grim landmark when released on Saturday.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the immigration system is totally broken, adding: Labour are failing to remove illegal immigrants, so it is no wonder they keep flooding in, as they know they will almost certainly get to stay. Among them are many who go on to commit serious crimes, including murder, rape, and the sexual assault of young girls. This situation is a disgrace.
Recent Tragedies
Two women died while trying to cross the Channel last Sunday following six other fatalities in April. Successive governments have tried to work with France to disrupt crossings, as well as revising the rules for claiming asylum in the UK in attempts to deter people from making the dangerous journey.
Last month, Shabana Mahmood signed a three-year deal with Paris to pay £662 million to boost beach patrols amid efforts to curb crossings. She is also the latest Home Secretary to look at overhauling the asylum system in a bid to deter crossings and make it easier to deport migrants.
Policy Changes and Legal Battles
Under the current Labour Government, ministers scrapped the Conservatives' multimillion-pound deal to send migrants who crossed the Channel from France to Rwanda. Just four volunteers were sent before the policy was ditched. But the move has prompted a legal battle, with the east African nation seeking to sue Britain for more than £100 million claiming it has breached the terms of the agreement and is owed money – something lawyers for the UK deny.
Annual Arrival Statistics
The number of migrants making the journey to the UK started at very low levels, with just 299 arrivals recorded in 2018. In December of that year, then-home secretary Sajid Javid cut short a Christmas break to return to the UK and declared a major incident after 45 migrants crossed the Channel on Christmas Day.
The annual total increased to 1,843 in 2019, then to 8,466 in 2020, 28,526 in 2021 and 45,774 in 2022, which is the highest number in a calendar year to date. Arrivals fell to 29,437 in 2023, before rising to 36,816 in 2024 and 41,472 in 2025.
Average Number of Migrants Per Boat
While the volume of migrants reaching the UK across the English Channel has varied from year to year, there has been a steady increase since 2018 in the number of people making the journey per boat. There was an average of seven migrants per boat in 2018, rising to 11 in 2019, 13 in 2020, 28 in 2021, 41 in 2022, 49 in 2023, 53 in 2024 and 62 in 2025. The average so far in 2026 is 64.
Fatalities in the Channel
There is no official record of fatalities in the Channel but 2024 looks to have been the deadliest year so far, with 50 deaths recorded by the French coastguard. At least 17 people died while attempting the journey in 2025, according to reports by French and UK authorities. The International Organisation for Migration has also reported more migrant deaths believed to be linked to crossing attempts.
The first migrant known to have drowned while attempting the crossing was a 31-year-old Iranian woman, Mitra Mehrad, in August 2019.
