First time in 2026: migrants cross English Channel to UK
The data, published Tuesday, indicated that 32 individuals arrived in a single small boat, marking the first detected crossing of the new year following a four-day stretch without any arrivals.
This movement comes on the heels of a year characterized by high levels of migration. In 2025, a total of 41,472 migrants reached the UK via small boats—almost 5,000 more than in 2024—despite intensified government measures to prevent irregular entries.
British officials noted that approximately 50,000 people who were residing in the country unlawfully had been removed since July 2024, representing a 23% increase compared to the previous 16 months.
Additionally, a treaty between the UK and France, implemented in August 2025, established a legal framework for a pilot program under which adult migrants crossing the Channel could be returned if their asylum claims are considered inadmissible, aiming to reduce unauthorized crossings.
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