UK set for longest stretch without migrant boat crossings for seven years
The most arrivals ever recorded in the month of December is 3,254, in 2024
The UK is poised to record its longest period without Channel migrant crossings in seven years, as no arrivals have been detected since mid-November.
According to the latest Home Office data, the last instance of individuals reaching the English coast by boat was on November 14. This marks an uninterrupted stretch of 27 days without new arrivals, as of December 11.
Should this trend continue through Friday, December 12, the duration will extend to 28 days. This would surpass any such uninterrupted period recorded since autumn 2018, marking a significant milestone in efforts to curb illegal crossings.
December is traditionally one of the quietest months for Channel crossings, with a combination of low temperatures, poor visibility, less daylight and stormy weather making the journey particularly difficult.
The most arrivals ever recorded in the month of December is 3,254, in 2024.
A period of 28 days in a row with no Channel crossings would represent the longest spell without arrivals since the 48-day gap from September 2 to October 19 2018 inclusive.
This year looks likely to see the second highest annual number of migrants arriving in small boats since data was first reported in 2018.
The all-time high is 45,774 arrivals in 2022.
The total for 2025 currently stands at 39,292, which is already more than in any other year except 2022, but would require 6,483 arrivals between now and the end of December to set a new record.
The Government has stepped up efforts in recent months to deter migrants from making the journey across the Channel, but the measures are not expected to have an impact until next year.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy met on Wednesday with ministers from member states signed up to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), who all agreed to consider reforming the treaty and tackle illegal migration within the existing legal framework.
The move to work with European counterparts over Article 3 of the ECHR – the protection against torture and inhuman treatment – follows asylum reforms announced by the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood last month, in a bid to also make it easier to deport people from the country.
Ms Mahmood confirmed changes will be brought forward seeking to make refugee status in the UK temporary, subject to reviews every 30 months, and to send refugees home if their country is deemed safe.
Meanwhile, the Government’s Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act became law earlier this month, which allows law enforcement agencies to use counter terror-style powers to crack down on people-smuggling gangs.