The number of migrants crossing the English Channel has surged in the past five days, with more than 1,300 making the journey despite government efforts to stop illegal crossings. The increase follows a break in the stormy weather that had made the journey too dangerous for most of the past two months.
At least 180 migrants reached UK waters today, adding to the growing numbers. Yesterday, 326 people arrived in six small boats, following 182 crossings the day before. Sunday saw the largest number of migrant arrivals in March on record, with 592 people making the trip in 11 small boats.
These rising numbers raise concerns about the government’s “smash the gangs” policy, which aims to stop illegal crossings by targeting human smugglers. Eight months after Labour took office, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has allocated millions in extra funding to the government’s new Border Security Command and increased resources for the National Crime Agency.
Despite multiple arrests of suspected people smugglers in the UK and across Europe, there has been no noticeable reduction in the number of crossings. In fact, the total number of arrivals since January 1 has reached over 3,400—nearly 20% higher than the 2,990 recorded at this time last year. The total for 2024 was 36,816, an increase of 25% compared to the previous year.
A maritime security source told GB News that the policy to break smuggling networks is not working. They pointed out that while there has been an increase in law enforcement efforts over the past eight months, crossings have not slowed down. Instead, the main factor limiting the number of migrants has been the weather. Without the recent storms, the numbers would likely be even higher.
A Home Office spokesperson acknowledged the issue, stating that the government is committed to ending dangerous small boat crossings, which put lives at risk and threaten border security. They emphasized that people-smuggling gangs exploit vulnerable individuals for profit, and the government will continue working to dismantle their operations and bring them to justice.
