MIGRANTS resumed attempts to cross the English Channel to reach Britain on Saturday, four weeks after the last small boat arrived on the southern English coast.
A home ministry spokesperson criticised the crossings, calling them “shameful” and saying: “The British people deserve better.”
According to ministry figures, no vessels had reached the southern English coast for 28 days before the weekend. Migrants last arrived from northern France on November 14.
The pause in crossings, believed to be linked to poor weather conditions, was the longest in seven years.
Several small boats were seen in the Channel on Saturday, but figures for how many migrants arrived will be released later.
The number of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats has become a major political issue in Britain.
The crossings have contributed to rising support for Reform, led by anti-immigration campaigner Nigel Farage. The party has led Prime minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party by double-digit margins in opinion polls for most of this year.
This year is expected to record the second-highest annual number of small boat arrivals since data was first reported in 2018.
More than 39,000 people have arrived in Britain by small boat so far this year. That figure is higher than the total for 2024 but lower than the record 45,774 arrivals recorded in 2022, when the Conservatives were in power. Many of those arriving are fleeing conflict.
The interior ministry spokesperson said the government was “taking action” on the issue.
“The home secretary has announced the most sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration in decades, removing the incentives that bring illegal migrants to the UK and scaling up the return of those with no right to be here,” the spokesperson said.
(With inputs from agencies)
