Britain has witnessed its largest-ever single Channel crossing by migrants, intensifying pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to deliver on his pledge to dismantle smuggling networks.
According to the Home Office, a vessel carrying 125 people reached England from France on Saturday, surpassing the previous record of 107 set in August.
The incident follows reports earlier this month of the first unescorted beach landing in nearly three years, underscoring how the crisis continues to escalate.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood condemned the smugglers facilitating the crossings.
“These small boat journeys are utterly unacceptable and the vile criminal gangs behind them are wreaking havoc on our borders,” she said. “My priority is to protect Britain’s borders, and I will explore every option available to restore order to our immigration system.”
The surge comes as Labour holds its annual party conference in Liverpool, where Starmer is under mounting pressure to reassert control over the issue.
The Prime Minister is acutely aware that failure to stem the crossings risks boosting the popularity of Nigel Farage and his Reform UK Party, which has surged ahead in the polls on a staunchly anti-immigration platform.
Despite new agreements with France, including a returns deal, the overall number of Channel arrivals has already reached record levels this year. On Saturday alone, 895 people made the crossing in 12 small boats, Home Office figures show.
Tragedy also struck on the French side of the Channel, where two women died attempting the journey. French officials told AFP that a couple and their child, suffering from hypothermia, were rushed to hospital.
Migration has rapidly risen to the top of the political agenda, often outpacing the economy in surveys of voter concerns. The Labour government is being squeezed on two fronts: the record legal migration levels under the former Conservative administration, and the continuing influx of small boats under its own watch.
Among measures under discussion is a controversial proposal for the UK Border Force to intercept migrant vessels in French waters and return them directly to the French coast. Such a scheme would require Paris’s consent, which has not yet been granted.
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