More than 800 migrants crossed to the UK in small boats on Saturday, a record number for a day in December, the latest figures show.
The total for the year has now reached 41,455 − up from 36,816 in 2024 − and already making it the second highest after the record year of 45,755 in 2022.
These latest figures will make uncomfortable reading for the UK government which has made tackling the politically charged issue of small boats a priority.
In January this year it, the Home Office announced a package of measures to “smash the gangs” of people smugglers by dealing with them in the same way as terrorists but so far that does not appear to be bearing fruit. The measures also included deploying National Crime Agency officers in Iraq's Kurdistan region, a centre of the people smuggling industry.
December is traditionally one of the quietest for Channel crossings, with a combination of low temperatures, poor visibility, less daylight and stormy weather making the journey particularly difficult.
The government hoped that a 28-day period without any crossings, the longest for seven years, had signalled that a corner had been turned. But as soon as more favourable weather returned on December 13, the small boats returned.
A flurry of activity over the weekend saw 803 migrants make the dangerous journey in 13 dinghies from northern France, starting overnight on Friday and into Saturday, a record for a single day in December.
Some 2,163 people
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