BBC News, South East
PA MediaMore than 1,100 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel on Saturday, the highest number recorded on a single day so far in 2025.
The latest Home Office figures showed 1,194 migrants arrived in 18 boats.
This year could see a new record set, with the number of arrivals so far being the highest recorded in the first five months of a year.
On Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Defence Secretary John Healey said Britain had “lost control of its borders over the last five years”.
The most recent arrivals bring the annual total so far to 14,811, up 42% on this time last year and 95% up from the same point in 2023.
Almost 37,000 people crossed the English Channel in small boats in 2024 but the highest figures were for 2022, when 45,755 people arrived.
The highest daily total of arrivals since data began in 2018 was 1,305, which was recorded on 3 September, 2022.
Healey called the scenes of migrants being picked up by smugglers “like a taxi” to be brought to the UK “shocking”.
He said an agreement was in place with French authorities, who rescued 184 on Saturday, to change the way they worked.
“Our concentration now is to push them to get that into operation so they can intercept these smugglers and stop these people in the boats, not just on the shore,” Healey added.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.
“The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay, and we will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.
“That is why this government has put together a serious plan to take down these networks at every stage.”
Additional reporting from PA Media.
