Hundreds of migrants are heading towards Britain on small boats this morning, it has been reported, as Labour continues to fail at dealing with the crisis. GB News’ Mark White broke the news on the channel’s breakfast show this morning, reporting that border force vessels are “struggling to cope” with the influx.
Mr White explained that poor weather over the weekend means that a “small weather window” this morning has sparked a mass crossing attempt by people smugglers. He told viewers: “We are told that a very significant number – potentially more than 400, maybe even 500 – of migrants are attempting to cross today. It’s only about an eight hour weather window before the weather closes in again, and then it’s going to be later in the week before conditions are good enough for these criminal gangs to push more small boats out.”
Migrant crossings per month (Image: Daily Express)
“Every maritime patrol on the French side is now dealing with escorting these small boats over to UK waters – this is controversial of course as people say ‘why on earth aren’t the French intervening and pushing the boats back rather than just accompanying them over.”
The Border Force vessel Defender has already picked up one small boat load and is 15 minutes away from Dover harbour.
The other vessels are heading to multiple sightings and picking up two boatloads at a time.
Former Met police officer and media commentator Norman Brennon said: “We already have the highest number of such migrants in recent times under Labour, who scrapped the Rwanda plan and replaced it with nothing but words of ‘Stop the Boats & Smash the Gangs”.
Labour’s election pledge to stop small boat crossings already appears in tatters this year, after more than 6,600 migrants have crossed the Channel in 2025.
This includes 4,586 in March – the highest figure ever recorded in the first six months of a calendar year.
English and French boats in Channel (Image: Maritime tracker)
Keir Starmer’s ‘smash the gangs’ pledge appears in tatters (Image: Getty)
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer used an immigration summit in London to urge more than 40 countries to do more to tackle smuggler supply lines and cash flows.
He wants nations to share intelligence, resources, tactics and equipment to “smash the gangs.
But Labour is coming under intense scrutiny over its “smash the gangs plan” as three of the top ten months with the most arrivals have come under Sir Keir’s premiership.
Think-tank Migration Watch has now warned that more than 60,000 migrants could cross the Channel this year in total.
Three of the top ten months with the most arrivals have come under the Labour leader’s premiership. Officials believe there have been far more “red days” – when crossings are considered likely because conditions are calmer – than in previous years.
Daily Express analysis reveals the months with the most migrant crossings are:
1: August 2022 (8,631 migrants)
2: September 2022 (7,964)
3: November 2021 (6,971)
4: October 2022 (6,900)
5: August 2023 (5,369)
6: October 2024 (5,187)
7: September 2023 (4,729)
8: September 2021 (4,602)
9: March 2025 (4,586)
10: August 2024 (4,211)
August, September and October are considered the peak months for smugglers hoping to traffick people into the UK due to flatter seas and calmer winds.
