More than 800 migrants cross English Channel in December record

According to Ministry of Internal Affairs data, more than 800 migrants crossed the English Channel on Saturday in 13 boats.

This figure is a record for December in recent years and is believed to be due to the density of people wanting to reach Kent due to recent bad weather conditions.

The year’s total exceeded 2024, reaching 41,455 people. there were 36,816 people for the whole year.

A Home Office spokesman said: “The number of small boat trips is disgraceful and the British public deserve better.”

803 migrants were disembarked at Dover by Border Force and RNLI ships.

While the number of people making dangerous journeys across the canal increased faster in 2025 than in recent years, the annual total has still not surpassed 2022, when 45,755 people arrived.

The Government statement added: “This Government is taking action. We have removed nearly 50,000 people who came here illegally and our historic agreement with the French means those arriving in small boats are now being sent back.”

Charities supporting migrants in Calais say there are unusually high numbers of people in makeshift camps in northern France at this time of year wanting to go to the UK.

This follows a recent period of 28 days when passage for small boats was not possible due to windy conditions in the Channel.

The seas were extremely calm on Saturday, and smugglers adept at studying weather forecasts were quick to load large groups of people onto overloaded boats.

The English Channel is one of the most dangerous and busiest shipping lanes in the world.

Most migrants come from the poorest and most chaotic parts of the world, and many seek asylum after being received by UK authorities.

Meanwhile, the Government continues its efforts to grasp the so-called “upstream” causes of the migration crisis, including working with neighboring countries.

Just this week Germany passed a new law under which people smugglers trying to bring immigrants to the UK could face up to 10 years in prison.

The change in law, which will come into force before the end of the year, aims to give more powers to law enforcement forces and prosecutors and increase information sharing between the UK and Germany.

This follows an agreement reached between the two countries in December last year to combat illegal immigration, including by removing smugglers’ ads on social media.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “This major change in German law is a result of our close partnership to combat illegal immigration and organized immigration crime.

“We will continue to increase our international cooperation to strengthen our own border security.”

Additional reporting by PA Media.