Channel crossings by migrants down 41% in first half of 2026

Ian Jones and Flora Thompson – PA

The number of migrants who arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel in the first half of the year fell sharply compared with the same period in 2025, figures show.

Some 11,884 migrants arrived in the six months from the start of January to the end of June, according to the latest Home Office data.

This is 41% lower than the total that had reached the UK by this point last year, which was 19,982.

It is also down 12% on the 13,489 who arrived in the first six months of 2024.

The steep drop is likely to reflect a number of factors including the weather, the supply of small boat parts, Government policy, and the flow of migrants into Europe from elsewhere in the world.

In April, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood signed a three-year agreement with French authorities to pay £662 million to support beach patrols as part of efforts to drive down arrivals.

Ms Mahmood is also seeking to overhaul the asylum system to deter crossings and deport people easier, including proposed changes to make refugee status temporary.

Looking further back, this year’s figure for January-June of 11,884 is 4% higher than the equivalent number in 2023 (11,433) and 7% below the figure in 2022 (12,747).

While the number of arrivals has fallen so far this year, the number of migrants arriving per boat has climbed to a new high, averaging 65 per craft over January to June.

The average across the whole of last year was 62 migrants per craft, while the figure for January-June 2025 was 58.

Some 2,742 migrants arrived last month after crossing the Channel, the lowest number for June since 2021.