Overview

• Home Office data confirms 11,074 migrants have crossed the English Channel in 2025, the earliest this milestone has been reached since records began in 2018.
• April saw 4,432 arrivals, more than double the 2,132 recorded in the same month last year, marking a 108% increase.
• The Labour government has introduced counter-terror style enforcement powers to combat smuggling networks, which are exploiting favorable spring weather conditions.
• Opposition figures, including Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, have criticized the government’s handling of border security and the cancellation of the Rwanda asylum scheme.
• The surge in crossings coincides with Labour’s first major electoral test in local elections, adding political pressure to address the crisis.