New Figures Reveal How Many Illegal Boat Migrants Have Entered the UK Since the New Prime Minister Took Office
More than 41,000 people have now crossed the English Channel in small boats so far this year, as the number of arrivals continues to rise.
A 19-year-old Sudanese man has been charged after police said he was piloting a small boat from France to the UK. The National Crime Agency said Chan Mathok Atak, who is from South Sudan, is accused of putting another person’s life at risk during the dangerous sea crossing on Thursday.
Investigators believe Atak was responsible for steering the overcrowded boat across one of the world’s busiest shipping routes. He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear before Margate Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
The charges come as the latest Home Office figures show that 366 migrants crossed the Channel on Thursday in three separate small boats. Calm seas, warm weather, and light winds made conditions easier for crossings, leading to another busy day for Border Force and rescue teams.
The latest arrivals mean that, during Andy Burnham’s first week as Prime Minister, 641 migrants have successfully crossed from France to Britain in small boats.
The figures also include a new record after one boat carrying 165 migrants reached the UK, making it the largest single small-boat crossing ever recorded. That broke the previous record set earlier in July, when 128 people arrived on one boat.
The continued rise in crossings has renewed pressure on the Government to tackle people-smuggling gangs and reduce the number of dangerous journeys across the Channel. Ministers have repeatedly promised stronger action against criminal networks organising the crossings, while critics say more needs to be done to stop boats leaving the French coast.
The Channel remains one of the busiest and most dangerous stretches of water in the world. Despite the risks, thousands of migrants continue to attempt the journey every year, often paying smugglers large sums of money to secure a place on overcrowded inflatable boats.
According to the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory, at least 162 people died while attempting to cross the Channel in small boats between 2018 and 2025, highlighting the deadly dangers faced by those making the journey.
