More than 850 migrants crossed the English Channel from France to England on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. This came after an 11-day period in which no migrant boats arrived in the UK.
A total of 451 people crossed the English Channel in 11 small boats on Christmas Day (December 25). A day later, on Boxing Day, 407 people crossed the Channel in ten small boats. In total, 858 people landed within the two days.
This came after a week and a half in which no migrants arrived in the UK on small boats; previously, the last arrivals had been on December 14, involving 160 people across three boats.
The figure for Christmas Day was the second highest recorded for December of this year; 609 people had arrived on December 12.
Weather conditions can affect how many migrants set off across the Channel from France. Around Christmas, sea temperatures were relatively high for this time of year (around 10°C) and winds were calmer than previously.
The total number migrants who arrived in small boats in the UK in 2024 has now reached 35,898, which is almost 22% more than the previous year, though still 27% fewer than 2022.
On Christmas Day, French authorities also conducted 12 rescue operations, saving 168 migrants who were attempting to cross the Channel.
Two groups of 30 people and 51 people were near Dunkirk, one of their boats was reportedly experiencing engine trouble.
A third rescue operation took place near Calais, where 26 people were saved from a boat in distress. By the evening (on December 25), 61 migrants on another vessel requested assistance and were safely transported to Calais.
The Channel remains a perilous route, especially in winter, with overloaded and precarious boats. In total, 73 migrants have died attempting to cross the Channel in 2024, making it the deadliest year for such crossings on record.
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