Migrants crossing Channel to UK surged 25% in 2024

Here are some of the key statistics and trends for migrants who arrived in the UK in 2024 after crossing the English Channel in small boats.

- IAN JONES

How many migrants arrived in 2024?

A total of 36,816 people were detected crossing the Channel in small boats in 2024, according to provisional figures from the Home Office. This is 25 per cent higher than the 29,437 people who arrived in 2023 but 20 per cent lower than the 45,774 arrivals in 2022, which was the highest for a calendar year since data on Channel crossings began in 2018.

How has the number of arrivals changed over time?

The total was lower in 2018 (299) and 2019 (1,843), before climbing to 8,466 in 2020, 28,526 in 2021 and a record 45,774 in 2022. It then fell in 2023 to 29,437, before rising in 2024 to 36,816.

Is there any clear trend in the number of arrivals before and after the 2024 general election?

Some 13,574 migrants arrived in the UK between the start of 2024 and the general election on 5 July, according to analysis of Home Office data. It was a record number for this period of the year and was 19 per cent higher than the 11,433 who arrived between 1 January and 5 July in 2023, as well as being 5 per cent higher than the 12,900 who arrived in the equivalent period in 2022.

The number of arrivals between the general election and the end of 2024 was also higher than the equivalent period in 2023, but lower than the figure for 2022. Some 23,242 migrants arrived between 5 July and 31 December 2024, up 29 per cent on the 18,004 arrivals in this period in 2023 and down 29 per cent on the 32,855 in 2022.

How many people made the crossing per boat?

An average of 53 migrants arrived per boat in 2024, up from 49 in 2023. The figure has been on a steady upward trend since data was first recorded in 2018 when the average for the year was seven. It rose to 11 per boat in 2019, 13 in 2020, 28 in 2021 and 41 in 2022.