The number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats surged by 25% in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to provisional figures from the Home Office.
A total of 36,816 people made the perilous journey, up from 29,437 in 2023, though still 20% below the record 45,774 arrivals in 2022.
The year’s final crossings occurred on 29 December, with 291 individuals making the journey in six boats. Blustery weather conditions halted crossings for the remainder of the year.
Since data collection began in 2018, 2024 marked the second-highest number of annual arrivals. The figures show a sharp rise over the years, with 299 crossings in 2018, increasing to 8,466 in 2020, and peaking at 45,774 in 2022.
The rise in crossings coincided with significant political changes in the UK. The Conservative Party, led by then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, lost the general election in July to Labour.
Sunak’s pledge to “stop the boats” fell short, while former Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s controversial Rwanda deportation plan was ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court.
Labour quickly fulfilled a manifesto promise by scrapping the scheme, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer declaring it “dead and buried.” Instead, Labour shifted focus to international co-operation and cracking down on smuggling networks.
The year 2024 was tragically the deadliest for Channel crossings. The French coastguard reported 53 migrant deaths in incidents linked to the dangerous journey across the busy shipping lane, with the International Organisation for Migration noting additional fatalities.
Labour’s Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, emphasised the importance of dismantling smuggling gangs and enhancing border security. However, she declined to set a timeline for reducing migrant numbers.
Starmer vowed to treat people smugglers as terrorists and allocated additional funding for a newly established border security command. The National Crime Agency confirmed it is pursuing around 70 live investigations into organised immigration crime and human trafficking.
Data analysis revealed 13,574 arrivals in the first half of 2024—19% more than the same period in 2023. Following Labour’s election victory, arrivals reached 23,242, a 29% increase compared to the latter half of 2023.
