The Home Secretary has claimed the Government’s crackdown on small boats is beginning to “bear fruit” after the combined total number of boat crossings over the summer months fell to its lowest since 2019.
Some 102 small boats brought migrants over the English Channel between June and August this year, a lower number than any year since 2019, when 57 vessels made the journey.
The summer months are usually a popular time for making the Channel crossing, as weather is usually calmer than the rest of the year.
While the number of boats used to make the journey has fallen since previous years, recent reports suggest the smuggling gangs responsible for crossings have started to load more people on to fewer, larger vessels.
Some 2,313 people made the crossing over the course of August, excluding official figures for the Bank Holiday Monday which have not yet been published.
A total of 7,371 people crossed the Channel over the summer months, according to the data, lower than any year since 2020 when 3,307 made the journey between June and August.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “This Government is committed to restoring order at our border.
“This work is beginning to bear fruit, with June, July and August recording the lowest number of small boat crossings in seven years.
“But we know there is more to do.
“We will be relentless in targeting the criminal gangs behind these crossings, and we will continue to remove the incentives that draw people here on unsafe and illegal routes.”
The Home Office pointed to the impact of the UK-France enforcement deal, which has resulted in more French police action on the northern beaches of the country.
Joint action with the French has prevented more than 48,000 crossing attempts since the election in 2024, the Government department said.
More than 1,100 boats and engines have been seized by the National Crime Agency and international partners, in a bid to choke off the supply of vehicles, the Home Office also said.
The Home Secretary wants to go further in immigration enforcement, and is spearheading the Immigration and Asylum Bill to do this.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham will meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Downing Street, with tackling small boat crossings on the agenda for their face-to-face discussions.
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