More than 1,400 migrants have crossed the English Channel since Britain and France announced a “one in, one out” plan to deter small boat crossings. By midday on Monday, July 14, at least that many people were known to have made the dangerous and illegal journey.
A recent heatwave has coincided with so-called “red days”—periods when calm weather makes Channel crossings easier, according to the UK Home Office. More awkward for the Labour government is that these arrivals continue even after a deal with French President Emmanuel Macron, allowing Britain to return migrants to France if they have family ties in the UK and come from within the EU.
Critics have called the returns deal a “gimmick,” with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp saying it applies to only six percent of arrivals. It certainly didn’t stop 38-year-old Ethiopian Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, who crossed the Channel and was charged just over a week later with three sexual assaults in Epping, Essex. He also denies charges of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and harassment.
The recent new arrivals bring the total number of migrants who have crossed the Channel this year to 22,360—mostly from the Middle East, Vietnam, and East Africa. That’s a 57% increase on the same period in 2024, when 14,164 had arrived. The government’s failure to control illegal migration is a key reason for Labour’s falling popularity after a year in office.
