The United Kingdom is facing an unprecedented surge in small boat migrant arrivals under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with more than 65,800 crossings recorded in his first 19 months in office. Since the start of the Channel crossing crisis in 2018, over 193,500 migrants have arrived, roughly equivalent to the population of Norwich.
In 2025 alone, over 41,474 migrants completed the 21-mile journey, with an additional 23,242 arrivals during Starmer’s first six months. Despite sub-zero conditions in Calais and Dover earlier this month, provisional figures indicate more than 900 have already crossed in 2026. Starmer’s daily average of 117 arrivals far exceeds Boris Johnson’s 58 per day, who reached 65,784 in 39 months.
The rising numbers have serious public safety implications. Analysis from the Centre for Migration Control (CMC) shows that migrants accounted for 79.3% of train theft arrests in 2024–2025, despite making up only 10% of the population. Migrants were also disproportionately involved in violent crimes, sexual offences, and drug-related arrests.
Reform UK MP Robert Jenrick commented
Starmer has given the country a masterclass in how not to secure our borders. The damage caused by his failure is unforgivable.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp added: “Keir Starmer has thrown open the border and rolled out the welcome mat for illegal immigrants. He doesn’t have the backbone to confront the consequences of his own choices.”
Labour has defended its record, pointing to the “one-in, one-out” deal with France, which has clearly not yielded the results the government had hoped for. Crossings continue to rise, highlighting what experts call a “desperate need for a strong deterrent” to secure Britain’s borders.
Rob Bates from the CMC stated: “The Channel crisis has only worsened under this Labour Government, with all available data showing that the situation has rapidly deteriorated since July 2024.”
