Record December crossing: 803 migrants reach UK in a single day as 2025 total tops 41,000

More than 800 migrants crossed the English Channel on Saturday, according to Home Office data, with 803 people aboard 13 small boats arriving at Dover. The crossings set a December daily record in recent years and appeared to reflect a backlog of people seeking to reach Kent after a spell of bad weather kept crossings off earlier in the month. The total for 2025 now stands at 41,455, topping the 2024 annual figure of 36,816. Border Force and RNLI vessels brought the migrants ashore at Dover.

French authorities also assisted a number of crossings, saying 151 people were rescued and taken back to France. The Maritime Prefecture of the English Channel and the North Sea provided the estimate. The Channel remains one of the most dangerous and busy shipping lanes in the world, and many migrants come from some of the world’s most challenging circumstances, often seeking asylum after being rescued by UK authorities.

Charities working with migrants in Calais said there was an unusually high number of people in makeshift camps in northern France for this time of year, coinciding with a period of 28 days when windy weather prevented small-boat crossings. Saturday’s calm seas and favorable forecasts allowed smugglers to load large groups into overloaded dinghies, officials said.

We are taking action to address the flow at its source and improve border controls. A government spokesperson said, "The number of small boat crossings are shameful and the British people deserve better." The government highlighted that it has removed almost 50,000 people who were here illegally, and argued that a historic deal with France helps ensure those who arrive on small boats are now being sent back. The statement signaled continued emphasis on deterrence and removals as part of a broader strategy.

International cooperation continued to be a focus this week as well. Germany passed a new law that could see people smugglers face up to 10 years in prison for facilitating crossings to the UK, with the aim of strengthening law enforcement and boosting information sharing between the UK and Germany. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said, "This major change in German law is the result of our close partnership working to tackle illegal migration and organised immigration crime. We will continue to ramp up our international co-operation to strengthen our own border security." The measure, due to take effect before the year’s end, follows a bilateral deal reached last December to curb illicit trafficking, including efforts to curb smugglers’ advertising on social media.

Despite the ongoing efforts, migration numbers remain high and the Channel’s dynamics continue to evolve. The annual total for 2025 still lags the 2022 peak of 45,755 crossings, underscoring year-to-year variability in routes and enforcement. The government says it will persist with upstream measures and international cooperation to address root causes and reduce crossings, while continuing to provide safety and orderly processing for arrivals.

As weekend operations continued, authorities stressed the need for coordinated, humane handling of crossings and ongoing vigilance against dangerous voyages across one of the world’s busiest and most perilous waterways.