Highest daily number of Channel arrivals so far this year

More than 700 migrants crossed the English Channel on Tuesday in the highest number of arrivals on a single day so far this year.

Home Office provisional figures suggest 705 people made the journey in 12 boats.

It comes just days after 656 people made the crossing in 11 boats on Saturday, which at the time was the highest daily number for the year.

Tuesday’s total of 705 is still some way below the highest ever number for a single day, which was 1,305 on September 3 2022.

The latest figures bring the cumulative number of arrivals in 2025 to a provisional total of 8,888.

This is 42% higher than at the same point last year, when the total stood at 6,265, and 81% higher than at this stage in 2023, when the total was 4,899.

More arrivals have been recorded in January to April 2025 than in the equivalent four-month period in any year since data on Channel crossings began in 2018.

The figures come as the Government has vowed to crack down on people-smuggling across the Channel.

A Home Office spokesperson said they are “intensifying” collaboration with France and other countries over tackling gangs’ business models, and introducing tougher enforcement powers under new legislation.

“We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security,” the spokesperson said.

“That’s why this government is investing in border security, increasing returns to their highest levels for more than half a decade, and imposing a major crackdown on illegal working to end the false promise of jobs used by gangs to sell spaces on boats.”

Meanwhile, French coastguards said 30 people were rescued on Tuesday after a number of migrant boats were reported to have left the coast between Walde Lighthouse and Dunkirk, in northern France, and got into difficulty.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the crossing figures marked “yet another day of failure for Labour”.

He said “crossings are surging”, and added: “Under new Conservative leadership, we are offering serious, workable reforms to take back control.

“But Labour continue to sit on their hands.

“Cancelling Rwanda was a catastrophic mistake, and now Britain is paying the price.”

Published: 16/04/2025 by Radio NewsHub