Overview

• Home Office figures show 1,075 people arrived by small boat on Wednesday across 15 vessels, taking the 2025 total to 35,476, about one third higher than this point last year.
• Two group flights this week returned 19 small‑boat arrivals to France, following seven earlier removals, with the government releasing footage of the operations.
• The reciprocal pilot has admitted 18 people to the UK so far after security checks, including nine this week, under the controlled legal route.
• Ministers say flights are under way and ramping up, the National Crime Agency cites more than 350 disruptions of smuggling networks last year, and further removals are scheduled.
• Removals remain a tiny fraction of arrivals as crossings continue from northern France, and the year is on course to challenge the record set in 2022.