Record High Migrant Crossings in the Channel for First Half of 2024

The number of migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the English Channel has reached a new record for the first six months of 2024. Home Office data reveals that 257 people made the journey in four boats on Sunday, bringing the provisional total for the year to 12,901. This surpasses the previous record of 12,747, set in 2022.

Comparatively, the total number of arrivals for the same period in 2022 was 11,975, marking an 8% increase. Additionally, the 2024 total is 17% higher than the 11,058 arrivals recorded by this time last year.

In 2023, 29,437 migrants crossed the Channel into the UK, a 36% decrease from the record 45,774 in 2022. More than 3,000 arrivals have been recorded since the General Election was called on May 22, with immigration remaining a significant campaign issue.

Since the beginning of 2018, 127,246 people have made the crossing. The tally of crossings since Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has pledged to “stop the boats,” took office in October 2022 stands at nearly 50,000, reaching 49,964.