Nigel Farage warns Britain ‘in peril’ after over 1,000 migrants cross Channel in one day

Nigel Farage has raised serious concerns about the state of the country after a record-breaking number of migrants crossed the English Channel in just one day.

According to him, over 1,000 people arrived on British shores on Saturday alone, which he said shows that “our country is in peril.” The warm weather that day made it easier for small boats to make the dangerous trip, breaking the previous record of 825 arrivals set earlier this year.

So far in 2025, around 14,600 people have made the journey across the Channel, which is a 30% increase compared to this time last year. The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said the rise is mostly due to calm weather, with more “red days”days with good conditions for crossin than usual.

However, Farage didn’t hold back in his reaction on social media. He warned that many of the people arriving were young men, and he claimed this large number puts the country at serious risk.

The government hopes the situation might get better soon, especially as France is changing its laws. The new changes would allow French police to use their own boats to stop small vessels before they leave for the UK. This follows criticism from UK leaders who say France hasn’t done enough to stop the crossings, even after the UK gave them £480 million to help.

Photos from Saturday added fuel to the anger. Some showed French officers standing around casually or filming with their phones as migrants boarded overcrowded and unsafe boats. Many people found these images frustrating and unacceptable.

Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary, called Saturday’s event a “day of shame” and blamed the Labour Party. He said Labour has lost control of the country’s borders, especially after dropping the Rwanda plan that was supposed to send migrants to Africa to deter illegal crossings. He added that the number of arrivals this year is already worse than any other year on record.

Robert Jenrick, the Shadow Justice Secretary, also attacked Labour, saying Keir Starmer promised to destroy the criminal gangs behind the smuggling, but instead, it’s those gangs who seem to be winning.

A Home Office spokesperson responded by saying that everyone wants to put an end to the dangerous small boat journeys, which not only risk people’s lives but also damage border security. They said the smuggling gangs don’t care if the people they take survive or not only that they pay. The government says it’s working on a strong plan to break these criminal operations. This includes better sharing of intelligence, more efforts in northern France, and tougher laws through the new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.