Those who are laser-focused on small boat crossings should be cock-a-hoop this weekend, after newly released figures showed a stark decline in the number of migrants arriving to the UK via the English Channel. However, the rumbles of discontent around this subject remain prominent.
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Small boat crossings drop to four-year low
According to the live tracking data produced by the Migration Watch website, arrivals at this stage of the year are now at their lowest since 2022. There is also a huge drop in the year-to-date figures, with small boat migrants dropping by 42%, compared to what they were 12 months ago.
Following a summer of heatwaves, conditions for crossing the Channel were viewed as ideal. Yet the Labour Government is now seeing tangible success in its approach to ‘smash the gangs’. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has since vowed to stop the crossings altogether.
“We will not stop until we bear down on every element of this criminal activity in a way that gets the numbers right down. “What it also shows is that the gangs have been disrupted and, as a result, are changing tactics. But we’ll be relentless in chasing them down.” | Andy Burnham
Migrant arrivals via Channel take a tumble – but critics demand more
Indeed, there is still work to be done on this front as far as the PM and the Home Office are concerned. Earlier in the week, 10 small boat crossings brought 781 people over in total – the highest figure so far in 2026. Nonetheless, overall numbers continue on a downwards trajectory.
Critical voices, however, remain unimpressed. Many have pointed to a drop in numbers across Europe having a knock-on effect for the UK. Others remain upset with the cumulative total, which continues to grow. The last week has also seen an increase in the weekly average of arrivals.
But, all that considered, Labour will argue that they have kept their promise to bring the numbers down. At a time where tensions in the Channel have reached fever pitch, the statistics show that progress is being made – a truth which may prove to be inconvenient for some.