Over 1,500 small boat migrants cross Channel since Thursday as good weather returns

GB News can confirm that so far today, 230 migrants have been taken by Border Force to the immigration processing facility at Dover harbour

It follows a fortnight of bad weather, which prevented migrant boats from making the illegal crossing from France.

However, weather conditions improved early on Thursday morning, bringing with it, a return to smuggling activity in the Channel.

Across Thursday, 621 people arrived in nine migrant dinghies.

By the end of Friday, the number of illegal arrivals in the UK had risen to 1,269.

One senior maritime source told GB News the latest surge is "down to better weather, nothing else".

He added: "It was odd to see ministers suggesting the absence of migrant activity in the Channel over the past two weeks suggested Government policy was having an impact.

"Efforts to dismantle the smuggling gangs might well have some impact in the longer term, but for the moment, the numbers are only heading in one direction.

"We see it repeated time and again. When the winds blow and the waves pick up, we get few if any crossings. When conditions calm down, they surge across in large numbers."

The Border Force vessel Ranger was the first to arrive into Dover this morning.

GB News counted 86 migrants, as they were taken off the Ranger and led to the Border Force processing facility.

By 11am, another Border Force vessel, Defender docked at Dover with migrants from two separate dinghies.

Our producer counted around 140 people as they disembarked the Defender.

At least two other migrant boats are still in the Channel, attempting to reach UK waters, as conditions remain relatively Calm.

The latest crossings take the total number of Channel migrant arrivals to 38,450.

That figure is well above the 36,816 who crossed during the whole of 2024.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "The number of small boat crossings are shameful and the British people deserve better.

“This Government is taking action. We have detained and removed more than 35,000 who were here illegally, and our historic deal with the French means those who arrive on small boats are now being sent back.

“But we must go further and faster – removing more of those here illegally and stopping migrants from making small boat crossings in the first place. "

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