The United Kingdom has recorded a significant rise in migrant arrivals in the first quarter of 2025, with 5,847 individuals crossing into the country.
This includes 335 people who arrived on Sunday via the English Channel, setting a new record for the period.
According to provisional data from the Home Office, this figure surpasses the 5,435 arrivals recorded during the same timeframe in 2024. It also exceeds the 3,793 recorded in early 2023 and the 4,548 in 2022.
Analysis by the PA news agency indicates that the latest numbers reflect a 36% increase from the 4,306 migrants recorded at this stage last year and a 59% rise compared to the 3,683 arrivals by this time in 2023.
The surge comes amid the UK government’s heightened efforts to curb illegal migration.
Authorities have announced plans to introduce new criminal offenses and grant law enforcement agencies greater powers to combat human smuggling across the Channel.
The increase in crossings has also led to a rise in fatalities. Last week, the French coastguard confirmed that two migrants died attempting the journey.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has also reported additional deaths linked to migrant crossings from mainland Europe to the UK this year.
A Home Office spokesperson reiterated the government’s commitment to tackling illegal migration, stating:
“We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security. The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay. We will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.”
