A record 28,076 migrants have crossed the English Channel to Britain in small boats so far this year a 46% jump compared with the same period in 2024 adding fresh political strain on Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government.
The milestone was reached on Sunday, when 212 people arrived in four separate boats. The surge comes as immigration tops public concerns in national polls, with anti-migrant protests continuing outside hotels used to house asylum seekers.
Tensions flared over the weekend after a court ordered the removal of asylum seekers from a hotel in Epping, north-east of London, marking the latest flashpoint in the national immigration debate.
The Labour government has pledged to end the use of hotels for asylum accommodation by 2029 and overhaul the asylum process. On Sunday, ministers announced measures to speed up appeals and cut a backlog of more than 100,000 cases. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the current system as “in complete chaos” and said the reforms were aimed at restoring “control and order.”
Recent figures also show asylum claims at record levels, with more people being housed in hotels than a year ago. Meanwhile, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has called for large-scale deportations of small-boat arrivals, signalling that immigration will remain one of the most divisive and high-stakes issues in British politics this year.
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