50,000 English Channel crossings recorded since Labour & Starmer took office

Since Keir Starmer became Prime Minister on July 5, 2024, Home Office data confirms 50,271 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats over 403 days. Arrivals surged 47%, with 27,029 in 2025 alone, compared to 36,346 the prior year. Starmer’s pledge to “smash the gangs” falters as smugglers exploit French laws limiting coastal interventions.

A “one in, one out” deal with France, effective August 2025, has detained only dozens, with minimal returns expected soon. Baroness Smith called the figure “unacceptable,” admitting smuggling gangs’ “absolute foothold in the tragic trafficking of people.” On Monday, 474 arrivals pushed the total past 50,000.

A Somali woman died attempting to board a boat, the 19th Channel fatality in 2025. Most migrants (73%) are adult males from Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq, using overcrowded dinghies. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp labeled it a “taxpayer-funded ferry service.” Nigel Farage warned of an “invasion” without deportations.

The Border Security Bill and increased National Crime Agency funding aim to curb crossings, but calm 2025 weather boosted numbers. Enver Solomon of the Refugee Council noted migrants flee war-torn Sudan, urging legal routes to deter dangerous journeys. Protests at asylum hotels signal public unrest.