Laura Kuenssberg: Illegal migration ‘dividing our country’, home secretary says ahead of asylum policy shake-up
How many people cross the Channel in small boats?published at 08:21 GMT
More than 39,000 people have arrived in the UK by
small boats in 2025, according to the latest Home Office figures.
According to government data, 1,069 migrants arrived in the UK in the last seven days.
How many people have died trying to make the crossing?
So far in 2025, 36 migrants are recorded as dead or missing
after attempting to cross from mainland Europe to the UK, according to UN
agency the International
Organization for Migration, external.
It estimates that at least 82 migrants died in 2024, making
it the deadliest year on record.
How do UK small boat arrivals compare with those to
Europe?
Italy received more than a third of arrivals by sea, of which there were were almost 189,000 in Europe during
2024.
As of 9 November, there had been 135,394 arrivals by sea
since the start of 2025, with the majority (61,265) recorded in Italy –
compared to the UK’s 36,734.
