Sharp fall in Channel migrant crossings as government steps up crackdown

Highlights

• Small boat arrivals fell 41 per cent in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year
• The government has introduced new agreements with France, Germany and Iraq aimed at disrupting smuggling networks and increasing migrant returns
• Ministers are also pursuing asylum reforms, including temporary refugee status, though charities have criticised the proposals
• Labour party is preparing for a leadership transition, and immigration remaining a key election issue

THE number of migrants who arrived in Britain on small boats fell steeply in the first half of this year compared with the same period in 2025, figures showed on Wednesday (1).

Migrant arrivals after crossing the English Channel were 41 per cent lower for the first six months of 2026, according to the latest data published by the Home Office.

The figures are welcome news for the centre-left Labour government as it tries to stem support for the anti-immigrant Reform UK party, which has led national opinion polls for months.

They come as prime minister Keir Starmer enters his final weeks in office, with veteran politician Andy Burnham expected to succeed him later this month.

Migrants try to board a dinghy to cross into the English Channel on June 30, 2026 in Wissant, France. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Some 11,884 migrants arrived between January and June, down from the 19,982 who had reached the UK by this point last year, the Home Office data showed.

The numbers were down 12 per cent on the 13,489 who arrived in the first six months of 2024, when the main opposition Conservative party was in power.

Deals with many countries

The Labour government has signed several deals with other countries designed to reduce the number of irregular migrants arriving on its shores in rudimentary vessels.

In April, it agreed a three-year deal with French authorities to pay £662 million ($879m) to support beach patrols as part of efforts to drive down arrivals.

In July 2025, Britain signed an agreement with Germany in which Berlin committed to cracking down on storage facilities used by migrant smugglers to conceal small boat parts.

The following month it struck a deal with Iraq that aimed to speed up the return of migrants with no legal right to live in the UK.

Home secretary Shabana Mahmood is also trying to overhaul the asylum system to deter crossings, including by making refugee status temporary, which has been criticised by charities. Weather can influence attempted crossings as well.

Reform's lead in national surveys has narrowed in recent months as it struggles to maintain momentum while facing greater scrutiny, with leader Nigel Farage under pressure over a £5m gift.

A YouGov poll published on Tuesday (30) indicated that Labour had enjoyed a bounce amid the likelihood of Burnham becoming prime minister, with Reform's lead falling to just four percentage points.

Starmer announced his resignation on June 22 after losing the support of members of parliament for his ruling party.

Burnham will become Labour's new leader, and therefore prime minister, in mid-July if he faces no challengers for the job, as is currently expected.

The next general election is not due until 2029.

(AFP)