As calmer weather leads to more sea crossings, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has vowed to tackle irregular migration across the Channel by introducing tougher border security measures and funding to address the root causes of migration. The opposition criticizes Labour for abandoning the previous government's controversial Rwanda plan to deter crossings.
Nearly 500 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats on Saturday (August 17), according to the Home Office. The latest figures revealed that 492 people made the journey aboard nine vessels, adding to the hundreds more who crossed earlier in the week. The Home Office reported 107 arrivals on Wednesday, 125 on Monday, and 703 last Sunday.
This brings the total number of crossings for the past week to 1,427, raising the provisional figure for the year to 19,066. Calmer weather and lighter winds in the Channel have contributed to the spike in crossings during this summer period.
Last Sunday saw the highest daily total of crossings since Starmer took office as Prime Minister in early July. His spokesperson acknowledged that the government expects further increases in the summer months. Prior to his tenure, the largest single-day figure this year was recorded on June 18, with 882 arrivals, followed by 711 on 1 May, both under the previous administration.
"We all want to see an end to dangerous small boat crossings, which are undermining border security and putting lives at risk," a UK Home Office spokesperson said on August 9.
"The new Government is taking steps to boost our border security, setting up a new Border Security Command which will bring together our intelligence and enforcement agencies, equipped with new counter-terror-style powers and hundreds of personnel stationed in the UK and overseas, to smash the criminal smuggling gangs making millions in profit."
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The Border Security Command will have enhanced powers under the Counter Terrorism Act, allowing officers to conduct stop and search operations at the border, carry out financial investigations, and issue search and seizure warrants targeting organized immigration crime.
Since taking office, Starmer has also pledged 84 million pounds (97 million euros) in funding to African and Middle Eastern countries to address migration "at source." These funds will support health, education, and humanitarian projects aimed at reducing the need for people to flee their homes.
The Conservative opposition, meanwhile, has criticized Labour's decision to scrap the previous government's Rwanda plan, which was intended to discourage Channel crossings. Tory ministers had argued that the controversial plan would have been a strong deterrent against irregular boat arrivals.