Why the UK has announced a border security deal with China – and what it could mean for small boat crossings

The deal with China builds on a growing web of agreements the UK has with countries along the migration routes leading to the ...

Deaths of 31 people in UK’s worst small boat disaster caused by government’s ‘systemic failure' – the Cranston inquiry conclusions explained

Over four weeks of public hearings in March 2025, officers involved in the UK’s search and rescue response gave oral evidence ...
France 24

UK says small boat migrant arrivals approached record levels in 2025

The number of migrants reaching the UK in small boats in 2025 climbed to its second-highest level since records began, official figures showed on Thursday, piling pressure on Prime Minister Keir ...
BBC

France makes first interception targeting small boat crossings to UK

French officials have made their first interception on the water as part of a new policy aimed at stopping small boats carrying illegal migrants to the UK. A so-called "taxi-boat" was boarded by ...
BBC

Track UK's latest migration numbers - including asylum, visas and small boats

How many people cross the English Channel in small boats? Between 1 January and 9 February 2026, a total of 1,530 people crossed the English Channel by small boat from France. These crossings have ...