MIGRANT small boat crossing numbers are on track for the worst year to date — heaping more pressure on Labour to slash arrivals.
A record 1,489 illegal migrants made the risky Channel journey between the start of January and February 6, statistics show.
[iframe src=”https%3A%2F%2Fdatawrapper.dwcdn.net%2FRH8ew%2F3%2F” height=”340″ mobile_height=”440″ width=”100″ /]That tops the 1,335 who crossed from France this time last year and the 1,442 in 2023.
The Home Office has blamed the rise on the high number of days when weather in the Channel was good.
Labour has grappled with the rise since it gained power seven months ago, promising to crack down on people smuggling gangs who profit from the boatloads of migrants.
But Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philip last night blamed PM Sir Keir Starmer for “idiotically” scrapping the Rwanda deportation plan.
He added: “Labour is introducing their Border Surrender Bill which gives illegal immigrants a path to citizenship.
“This is a weak Labour government led by a weak PM.”
Reform Deputy Leader Richard Tice also let rip, saying: “Smash the gangs means attract more migrants.
“Starmer’s plans have failed. They must change course and adopt Reform policy to pick up the boats and take them back.”
MPs will next week vote on Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s Borders Bill, which will give immigration police counter-terror-style powers to flush out the people traffickers.
While the rate of crossings is currently at a record, it does not necessarily mean the trend will continue for the rest of the year.
By this time in 2022, 1,339 migrants had crossed the Channel, and it went on to be the worst year ever with a total 45,755 illegal arrivals.
Last year saw 36,816 crossings, up from the 29,437 the previous year, largely as a result of more people being crammed into each dinghy.
After this article was published, a Labour source highlighted that the latest daily figure of zero crossings brought the rate back below 2023 levels.
They hit back: “Only yesterday, Chris Philp said it was ‘disgraceful’ that 1,489 people had crossed the Channel by February 6 this year, and blamed it on the ‘idiotic’ decision to scrap the Rwanda scheme. So what was his view of the situation on February 7th 2023, when he was a Home Office minister, when the Rwanda scheme was in place, and when 1,646 people had crossed the Channel – almost 10 per cent more than have arrived so far in 2025? Did he consider that a disgrace as well?”
