Record 10,170 people arrive in UK via small-boat Channel crossings this year

A record 10,170 people have arrived in the UK so far this year after crossing the Channel in small boats, according to government data.

The provisional figure beats the previous record of 9,326 who crossed to the UK by this time in 2017. The comparable figure for last year was 7,326.

Home Office data showed that 467 people crossed the Channel in 10 small boats over the past week, with 288 arriving in five boats on Friday.

The new record is a blow to Rishi Sunak’s claim the government was on track to “stop the boats”, one of his key goals as the country gears up for a general election on 4 July.

The prime minister has said the intention to put migrants on planes to Rwanda is having a deterrent effect. Since calling the election, he has admitted that no planes will take off before votes are cast in less than six weeks time.

If he was re-elected as prime minister, “these flights will go … we will get our Rwanda scheme up and running,” he told the BBC.

So far, no one has been deported to Rwanda under the scheme, which the National Audit Office said would cost £1.8m for each of the first 300 people sent there.

Sunak has sought to make immigration a key issue in the election campaign, saying the Conservatives’ controversial scheme will discourage migrants from attempting to enter the UK illegally. He has accused Labour of wanting to offer an “amnesty” to migrants.

Labour has said it will not deport migrants to Rwanda if it wins the election, and that it will set up a border force command using £75m from the existing budget for the Rwanda scheme.

Migration is expected to be a key issue in the election, particularly in seats where the Tories are facing stiff competition from the Reform party, which is at 11% in the polls.

The government says 82 organised crime groups have been dismantled since July 2020, and that it is working with the French authorities to prevent Channel crossings. More than 26,000 attempted crossings were thwarted last year, it says.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We continue to work closely with our French partners to prevent crossings and save lives.”