Labour’s border crisis: Around 135 migrants flooding in daily on small boats under Starmer’s first 100 Days as total for year soars to 27,000

Migrant boat and Keir Starmer

An average of 135 small boat migrants have crossed the English Channel each day of Labour's 100 days in office, GB News can exclusively reveal

Getty
Mark White

By Mark White


Published: 12/10/2024

- 18:13

Updated: 12/10/2024

- 18:29

The total number of Channel migrants has passed 13,500 since Keir Starmer's Government came to power

An average of 135 small boat migrants have crossed the English Channel each day of Labour's 100 days in office, GB News can exclusively reveal.

On Saturday, the total number of Channel migrants passed 13,500 since Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Government came to power on July 5.


More than 400 crossed illegally from France throughout today, taking the total number of small boat migrants for the year so far to almost 27,200.

A further 142 migrants made the journey yesterday, after stormy conditions in the Channel prevented crossings since last Saturday.

Migrant boat and Keir StarmerAn average of 135 small boat migrants have crossed the English Channel each day of Labour's 100 days in office, GB News can exclusively revealGetty

A very short break in the weather late on Friday night and into Saturday morning allowed people smugglers to launch multiple dinghies for French beaches.

The revelation that an average of 135 migrants a day have crossed since Labour took power will pile on more pressure for firm action from the Starmer Government, which promised to "smash the gangs."

Tens of millions of pounds in additional resources are being directed towards Labour's new Border Security Command.

The UK has also signed international agreements with G7 countries and others to increase law enforcement cooperation around people smuggling investigations.

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But so far, there has been no slowdown in the numbers crossing the Channel into UK waters.

As the winter months approach, the criminal gangs are expected to take even more risks with migrant lives, pushing boats out in increasingly poor weather conditions.

This year has already proved to be the deadliest year since the small boats crisis began in 2018, after close to 50 people, including several women and children died in multiple incidents.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.

Migrants crossing the English Channel

More than 400 crossed illegally from France throughout today, taking the total number of small boat migrants for the year so far to almost 27,200

Getty

"As we have seen with so many recent devastating tragedies in the Channel, 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.

"We are making progress, bolstering our personnel numbers at home and abroad.

"Our new Border Security Command will strengthen our global partnerships and enhance our efforts to investigate, arrest, and prosecute these evil criminals."

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