Ex-Border Force head points to 'major security risk' as small boats entering Britain surge

Former director general of the UK Border force Tony Smith said: "I am worried that with around 40,000 arrivals, many of whom do not have passports, we are required to process people very quickly on arrival.

"Often we have no more than around 24 hours, usually at Manston. Earlier this year, there was a report from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, which we discussed on your programme, saying we should be spending more time debriefing people.

"That is a concern for me, not necessarily in relation to what happened in Australia, but because we know a significant number of people who come through later commit criminal offences.

"In some cases, those offences were committed before they arrived here, and we only discover that after the event.

"I am really worried that there may be people among those arriving who pose a serious risk, and I would hate to have to come on your programme to explain how someone entered the country on a small boat and went on to carry out a terrorist attack.

"It is not beyond the realms of possibility. So this is not just about numbers, illegal immigration or criminality. I am concerned about border security.

"That is my area and I believe we need to ensure that anyone arriving without a passport is held for as long as necessary for the authorities to carry out thorough screening, interviews and debriefing.

"I am deeply concerned that this is not currently happening."

His comments come after Saturday saw 737 migrants reach Britain's southern coast aboard 11 small boats, pushing this year's Channel crossing total beyond the 40,000 threshold for the first time since 2022.

The arrivals on December 13 came after an unprecedented 28-day gap in crossings, the longest such pause recorded since 2018, attributed to unfavourable weather conditions.

Home Office data reveals the annual figure now stands at 40,029, making 2025 likely to record the second-highest number of small boat arrivals since tracking began in 2018.

Each vessel carried an average of 67 people during the perilous journey from northern France to England's coast.

The 2022 total reached 45,755, while 2023 and 2024 saw 29,437 and 36,816 arrivals respectively.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood acknowledged on Sunday that shifting weather patterns had triggered the resumption of crossings after nearly a month without arrivals.

Speaking to Sky News, she outlined ongoing collaboration with French authorities, stating: "The work that we're doing with law enforcement in France has already stopped 20,000 crossings."

Mahmood noted that even as migrants successfully reached Britain on Saturday, disruption efforts had prevented some vessels from completing the journey.

"There is no one silver bullet here," she conceded. "We have to come up with a range of proposals at every level in order to try and bear down on this."

The Home Secretary indicated the Government had gained valuable insights since taking office regarding which interventions prove most effective.

The French Maritime Prefect reported multiple incidents during Saturday's crossings, including four migrants who fell into the sea near Sangatte and were rescued suffering from hypothermia, while another vessel experienced engine failure before continuing its journey.

French authorities explained they avoid forcing migrants onto rescue vessels due to the structural weakness of overloaded boats, fearing such intervention could trigger capsizing.