Small boat crossings fell to their lowest summer level in seven years, despite favourable conditions and hot weather, new figures have shown.
Across June, July and August this year, the number of small boats reaching the UK fell by 46% compared to the same period in 2025. This was the lowest total number of crossings since 2019.
Meanwhile, Home Office data shows the number of people who arrived in the UK on small boats between June 1 and August 30 was 7,416, the lowest number of people since 2020.
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This has been despite hot weather this summer making conditions favourable for crossings.
So far this year, 16,391 migrants have crossed the Channel, down 43 per cent on the same time last year, and an 18 per cent drop from the same point in 2024.
In a post on social media, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the numbers were evidence that Labour’s working is “beginning to bear fruit.”
She added: “But we know there is more to do. We will be relentless in targeting the criminal gangs behind these crossings, and we will continue to remove the incentives that draw people here on unsafe and illegal routes.”
Mahmood has pointed to increased co-operation with France as a key factor in bringing down the number of small boat crossings. The £662m deal with France has seen more French officers deployed on beaches to stop crossings and the adoption of new interception tactics at sea, along with the one-in one-out agreement between the two nations.
The government has also taken steps to work closer with international partners in disrupting the people smugglers’ supply chains for boats, outboard motors and lifebelts.
The small boat figures come the week after the latest migration stats showed Labour was making progress across the board.
Along with small boat crossings being down, asylum claims and legal migration arrivals fell in the year to June compared to the same period in 2025.
The use of hotels to house asylum seekers also dropped over the last year whilst the government has made remarkable progress on reducing the backlog of asylum applications.
This has helped the government shave almost £1 billion off the total cost of the asylum system.