LONDON, Aug 25 – A record 28,076 people have crossed the Channel to Britain in small boats so far this year, government figures showed on Monday, a 46% rise on the same period in 2024.
The record was set on Sunday when 212 migrants arrived in four separate boats. The sharp increase is adding pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with immigration now polling as the public’s top concern.
Political Tensions
Anti-migrant protests have been held outside hotels used to house asylum seekers, with demonstrations flaring over the weekend after a court ordered migrants to be moved from a hotel in Epping, Essex.
Starmer’s Labour government has pledged to end the use of hotels by 2029 and overhaul the asylum system. On Sunday it announced changes designed to speed up asylum appeals and cut through a backlog of more than 100,000 cases.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper called the current system “in complete chaos” and said the reforms were meant to restore “control and order.”
Opposition Pressure
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, whose party has been topping recent opinion polls, has set out a much tougher stance. He told The Times he would push for “mass deportations,” take Britain out of the European Convention on Human Rights, and build detention centres for 24,000 people.
Farage also said he would strike repatriation deals with countries such as Afghanistan and Eritrea and organise daily deportation flights.
The Bigger Picture
Official data last week showed asylum claims at record levels, with more people now in hotel accommodation compared with a year ago. Analysts say immigration is likely to remain one of the most divisive issues facing Starmer’s government in the months ahead.
