The number of people who have crossed the English Channel to Britain in small boats since Labour came to power has now overtaken the size of the entire British Army.
The latest figures underline the scale of the Channel migration crisis. A further 781 migrants arrived on Wednesday, marking the highest single-day total recorded this year. That brought the number of arrivals since the general election to 83,279—more than the Army’s roughly 83,000 personnel, according to Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp.
Mr Philp accused the Labour Government of allowing an Army-sized population to enter the country illegally by sea, saying the comparison was “completely bonkers.”
The Conservative frontbencher claimed ministers had “lost control” of Britain’s borders and were unable to regain it.
He said the Conservative approach would involve closing asylum seeker hotels and ending benefits for people who enter the country illegally, while prioritising deportations.
Pressure on Labour’s handling of the crisis has intensified after two dinghies reached the UK without being intercepted by Border Force during the course of this week.
Cabinet minister Lucy Powell acknowledged that authorities “can’t stop everything all of the time” while facing questions about the series of events.
Wednesday’s total surpassed the previous 2025 high of 752 arrivals, recorded on July 29. In the first three days of this week alone, 1,085 people had reached Britain. Additional crossings were reported on Thursday, although an official figure had not yet been released.
The number of small-boat migrants reaching Britain under Labour has now exceeded the size of the British Army (Pictured: A group of migrants attempt to cross the English Channel on September 23)
The post-election total of small-boat arrivals has reached 83,279, exceeding the Army’s 83,000 personnel (Pictured: A group of people thought to be migrants brought to the Border Security Command compound in Dover, Kent)
The sharp rise in crossings could suggest that people-smuggling gangs are once again able to secure dinghies, outboard motors and other equipment. A previous law enforcement operation had sought to disrupt the routes used to obtain those supplies.
The figures are likely to prove uncomfortable for Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who said on September 2 that record numbers of officers were being deployed to target small-boat launches and the criminal gangs organising them. At the time, she said the measures were “bearing fruit.”
Among this week’s two reported “uncontrolled landings” was a dinghy carrying as many as 30 people that arrived on a Kent beach on Tuesday before police reached the scene. Officials said 21 people were detained and taken to a Home Office facility to undergo processing before making asylum claims.
Ms Mahmood has since ordered an urgent investigation into how the vessels were able to cross the Channel without being stopped.
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Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Education Secretary Ms Powell said it was impossible to prevent every crossing, but admitted that the latest incidents were a serious concern.
She said the Home Secretary had commissioned the review because such events were not what the Government wanted and were “not acceptable.”
The ISU, a union representing Border Force staff, warned that migrant boats were “definitely” reaching the UK undetected along sections of the entire southern coastline.
Lucy Moreton of the union said there was no doubt that unseen crossings were taking place, arguing that vessels could pass unnoticed simply because no one was present to spot them.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp accused Labour of having “lost control” of Britain’s borders (Pictured: Migrants attempt to board a smuggler’s boat)
She added that abandoned boats and reports of uncontrolled landings had been recorded along the south coast, extending as far west as Falmouth.
Ms Moreton accused the Home Office of taking a position of: ‘If we don’t look for it, we don’t know it’s happening. We don’t know it’s happening, we don’t have to deal with it.’
A former senior Home Office civil servant said the whole of the south coast should be monitored for migrant crossings, not just the narrowest section of the Channel near Dover.
Ex-Border Force director general Tony Smith said: ‘We’ve got technology – radar and drones and surveillance – but clearly, it didn’t work on this particular occasion.’
Asked why migrants would choose to arrive on a beach rather than be rescued and processed, he said they may have wanted to ‘evade capture’ and avoid biometric checks which could flag a criminal record or that they had previously arrived illegally.
A Government spokesman said: ‘Our progress this year in tackling small boats is indisputable – with crossings down by 42 per cent and the lowest recorded over the summer months since 2020.
‘But this week’s events show that while the peaks we are seeing are far below those of previous years, we need to push further and harder in order to eradicate this vile trade.’
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