The UK government has confirmed the official number of small boat arrivals for Thursday, July 31. It shows that at least 25,000 people have crossed into England by boat in 2025, with 898 arriving on that day alone—the highest daily figure recorded this year.
Neither the ‘one in, one out’ agreement with France nor the broader pledge to ‘Smash the Gangs’ has deterred the crossings. In fact, Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer appears to be faring even worse than his predecessor, the ineffective Rishi ‘Stop the Boats’ Sunak.
The milestone of 25,000 arrivals comes as new figures confirm record population growth in England and Wales last year— the second-highest since World War II, driven largely by migration.
Although not all small boat arrivals will be granted leave to remain in the UK, many do stay. Combined with high levels of legal immigration, the continued influx—particularly in areas where migrants are housed—is likely to remain a major political liability for Starmer throughout his term.
