English Channel

English Channel crossings begin on Saturday after longest pause in seven years

English Channel Crossings Begin On Saturday After Longest Pause In Seven Years
People taken in to the Border Force compund in Dover, © PA Wire/PA Images
Share this article

By Nina Lloyd, Press Association Political Correspondent

Migrants began crossing the English Channel on Saturday after the longest pause in small boat arrivals in the UK in seven years.

Before the weekend, no vessels had reached the English coast for 28 days, according to UK Home Office figures.

The most recent date on which people arrived in the UK after completing the journey by boat was November 14th, marking the longest uninterrupted run since a 48-day gap in autumn 2018.

Advertisement

Figures for Saturday, when a number of small boats were seen in the Channel, will be released later.

A Border Force vessel in Dover on Saturday
A Border Force vessel in Dover on Saturday (Gareth Fuller/PA)

December is traditionally one of the quietest months for Channel crossings, with a combination of low temperatures, poor visibility, less daylight and stormy weather making the journey particularly difficult.

The most arrivals recorded in the month of December is 3,254, in 2024.

This year looks likely to see the second highest annual number of migrants arriving in small boats since data was first reported in 2018.

The all-time high is 45,774 arrivals in 2022.

Newsletter

Message submitting... Thank you for waiting.

Our apps

Our PARTNERS