Record number of boat migrants land in Britain as cross-channel crossings soar past 20,000

07/03/2025 / By Laura Harris

A new record was set as over 20,000 migrants crossed the English Channel by July 1 – nearly two months earlier than in 2024 – marking a 50 percent year-on-year increase.
On July 1 alone, nearly 200 additional migrants arrived, with multiple boats still en route, pushing the total towards 20,250 and putting 2025 on track to surpass all previous records.
The surge coincides with Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s first year in office; critics say Labor has failed to deliver on its pledge to dismantle smuggling networks and deter crossings.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has demanded a return to offshore removals, arguing only strict deterrents can curb illegal arrivals.
A proposed U.K.-France returns agreement is already drawing criticism from several EU countries, which warn the bilateral plan could strain EU migration policy and shift burdens to southern states.

A new record has been set in Britain’s ongoing migrant crisis, as the number of people crossing the English Channel by small boat surpassed 20,000 in the early hours of July 1 – reaching the milestone nearly two months earlier than last year.

According to the official data of the government, there were 19,983 arrivals by Monday night, June 30, with the threshold broken when a boat carrying around 60 migrants landed on the Kent coastline at approximately 2:00 a.m. the next day. (Related: Boatloads of illegal migrants making their way into Europe via Spain.)

By 8 a.m., two more Border Force ships, Defender and Ranger, had arrived in the harbor with an additional 71 migrants. At least three more small boats were reported to be en route across the Channel as of this morning, raising the likelihood that the total could push this year’s count beyond 20,250.

The pace of crossings this year marks a sharp acceleration in the crisis.

Compared to 2024, when the 20,000 mark was not reached until Aug. 29, this year’s figures represent a 50 percent increase. The previous record year, 2022, which saw a surge in crossings after Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) travel restrictions were lifted, is now on track to be eclipsed well before the end of 2025.

Starmer faces migrant surge and EU backlash over France deal

The surge comes as the Labour government, led by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, marks its first anniversary in office. Starmer campaigned on a promise to “smash” the cross-Channel smuggling operations fueling the migrant flow, but critics argue that little has changed.

“One year into Labor’s Government and the boats haven’t stopped – they’ve multiplied,” Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said. “Labour tore up our deterrent and replaced it with fantasy. This is the worst year on record and it’s become a free-for-all.”

Philp called for a more hardline approach, including removing all illegal arrivals to countries outside of Europe, a model previously attempted under the Conservative government’s stalled Rwanda plan.

“We need a removal deterrent so every single illegal immigrant who arrives is removed to a location outside Europe. The crossings will then rapidly stop. People are furious and rightly so. Under new leadership, only the Conservatives have a credible plan to stop the crossings, restore control and end the chaos,” Philp added.

Moreover, the long-anticipated bilateral deal between France and the U.K. on illegal immigration is already meeting resistance from within Europe. Several EU member states, including Italy, Spain, Greece, Malta and Cyprus, have formally objected to the plan, warning it could destabilize EU migration policy and shift responsibility for irregular migration back onto frontline states.

“We take note – with a degree of surprise – of the reported intention of France to sign a bilateral readmission arrangement. If confirmed, such an initiative raises serious concerns for us, both procedurally and in terms of potential implications for other member states, particularly those of first entry,” opposing members of the bloc wrote in a strongly worded letter to the European Commission.

Visit Migrants.news for more stories about the migrant crisis in Italy and other European countries.

Watch this clip from “Bannon’s War Room” about the Italian government barring citizens from entering while allowing migrants at the same time.

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