The number of small boat migrants crossing illegally to the UK this year has passed 10,000 in a major blow to the Prime Minister's 'smash the gangs' policy.
Calm conditions in the Channel this morning have led to a fresh surge of small boat launches, with more migrants expected to make the illegal crossing over the next two days.
By mid morning, the grim milestone figure of 10,000 was reached when the Border Force vessel Hurricane arrived in Dover harbour with 71 migrants onboard. A further 279 migrants arrived later in the day too.
So far on Monday, five small boats have made the crossing, in almost flat-calm conditions.
It follows more than 245 migrants who made the illegal journey on Sunday.
GB News provisional analysis of the latest figures reveals that around 10,250 small boat migrants have now crossed since the beginning of 2025.
GB News provisional analysis of the latest figures reveals that around 10,150 small boat migrants have now crossed since the beginning of 2025
GB NEWS
The 10,000 figure has been reached nearly a full month ahead of last year, when that number had arrived by 24 May.
The current number is more than 40 per cent ahead of the 2024 figure for this point in the year.
Speaking to GB News, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp claimed 2025 had been "the worst year in history for illegal immigrants crossing the English Channel".
He said Labour had been wrong to scrap the Rwanda scheme and said that without that deterrent, "the numbers are worse than ever".
Sir Keir Starmer had promised to 'smash the gangs' with Labour in power
PA
A Home Office spokesman said: “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 and we will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.
“That’s why this government is investing in border security, increasing returns to their highest levels for more than half a decade, and imposing a major crackdown on illegal working to end the false promise of jobs used by gangs to sell spaces on boats.
"We have already secured agreement from the French to deploy a new elite unit of officers at the coast, launch a specialist intelligence unit, increase police numbers and introduce new powers for the French authorities to intervene in shallow waters."
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