More than 700 migrants crossed the English Channel on Saturday, ending a four-week period without small boat crossings, according to the latest figures from the British Home Office.
The arrival at Dover of 737 migrants, spread across 11 boats, marked the end of the longest period without such crossings in seven years. Prior to this date, the last arrivals were recorded on November 14, making this the longest uninterrupted interval since 2018.
With these figures, the total number of people who have crossed the English Channel so far this year has reached 40,029, surpassing the figure for 2024, when 36,816 crossings were recorded for the entire year.
December is usually considered the quietest month due to adverse weather conditions, which is believed to have contributed to the temporary drop in crossings over the past few weeks.
In recent months, the British government has intensified efforts to curb small boat crossings, although these measures are not expected to have an immediate effect.
British Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy held meetings last week with ministers from other European countries to discuss reforms to the European Convention on Human Rights, aimed at facilitating the deportation of illegal immigrants.
Meanwhile, in November, Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood announced changes to asylum policies, including granting refugee status on a temporary basis and reviewing it every 30 months. Under the changes, refugees can be repatriated if their country of origin is deemed safe.
The agreement between the United Kingdom and France, known as “one in, one out”, came into force in August. As of November 27, 2025, 153 people have returned under this scheme.
