The United Kingdom has experienced a significant surge in migrant arrivals on Saturday, May 31, 2025, with nearly 1,200 individuals reaching British shores in small boats after crossing the English Channel from France. This marks the highest single-day total for migrant crossings recorded so far in 2025.
According to figures released by the Home Office on Sunday, 1,195 migrants arrived in 18 boats amid favorable weather conditions.
This latest influx pushes the provisional annual total of small boat crossings to 14,812, representing a substantial 42% increase compared to the same period last year, and a 95% rise from 2023 figures.
The English Channel continues to be a primary route for those seeking to enter the UK, despite ongoing efforts by both British and French authorities to deter illegal crossings.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey expressed concern over the “pretty shocking” scenes of migrants being facilitated by smugglers, likening the process to a “taxi service.”
He highlighted the persistent challenge of French authorities’ inability to intercept boats in shallow waters and emphasized the UK’s push for new regulations to enable such interventions.
While Saturday’s numbers represent a 2025 peak, they remain just below the all-time daily record of 1,305 crossings set on September 3, 2022. The total number of small boat arrivals in 2024 was 36,816, with the highest annual figure reaching 45,774 in 2022.
The escalating numbers continue to exert pressure on the Labour government, which has pledged to crack down on smuggling gangs and their operations.
