Home Office Confirms Record-Breaking 656 Migrants Crossed Channel in a Single Day — Highest of 2025

The Home Office has confirmed that 656 migrants arrived in the UK by crossing the English Channel in small boats on Saturday. This marks the highest single-day number of crossings so far this year, setting a new record for 2025.

Over the weekend, even more people made the journey, bringing the total number of migrants who have crossed the Channel this year to 8,061. That’s a staggering 46% increase compared to the same time last year, showing that the crisis is getting worse, not better. 

Commentator Emma Woolf, speaking on GB News, didn’t hold back in her criticism of the government’s handling of the situation. She accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of essentially giving up on stopping the crossings, saying his strategy to “smash the gangs” behind the smuggling operations has completely failed.

Woolf didn’t mince words, stating, “They don’t smash the gangs, and they don’t stop the boats. In fact, it’s worse than failure—Keir Starmer has almost given up. Now he’s just admitting it’s a really bad situation without offering any real solutions.” 

She then turned her attention to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, calling her potentially “the worst Home Secretary ever”—a strong statement, given some of the past holders of the role. Woolf argued that the UK is no longer just seen as a soft target for illegal migration but is now practically welcoming migrants with open arms. 

As for solutions, Woolf suggested the government needs to make a tough decision: either stop sending millions of pounds to France for border security (which doesn’t seem to be working) or take drastic action to halt the crossings. She pointed out that the problem isn’t just due to good sailing weather—it’s a systemic failure. “We know the boats will keep coming as long as the weather allows,” she said. “And yet we’re doing nothing meaningful to stop them.” 

However, not everyone agreed with Woolf’s harsh assessment. Former Labour Minister Bill Rammell defended the government, saying progress is being made to reduce both legal and illegal migration.

He argued that while small boat crossings make up only about 3% of total net migration, the government is still working to bring numbers down. He pointed out that net migration was over a million when Labour took office and is projected to drop to 330,000 next year. 

But commentator Adam Brooks wasn’t convinced. He fired back, saying that even if the numbers seem small now, each illegal migrant who is granted leave to remain in the UK could eventually bring in four or five family members through legal routes.

He warned that if the current trend continues, the country could face serious long-term consequences, including security risks.

From Saturday’s arrivals alone, we could be looking at an eventual liability of 2,500 people,” he said. “If this keeps up, the UK will be unrecognizable in a few years. We’re letting in people with no documentation—some could be criminals, terrorists, or worse. At least with legal migration, we can track who’s coming in.” 

The debate highlights the growing frustration over the government’s inability to control the crisis, with critics demanding stronger action and defenders insisting that change takes time. Either way, with record numbers still crossing, the pressure on Labour to deliver results is only increasing.