Over One Hundred Migrants Make Their Way to UK on Single Boat

(MENAFN) A small boat carrying 125 people made the perilous crossing of the English Channel from France to the UK on Saturday, setting a new record for the highest number of passengers on a single vessel, media reports, citing the Home Office. This surpasses the previous record set in August when 107 people arrived in what the British media dubbed a “mega-dinghy.”

The latest crossing takes place despite UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s vow to “smash” the people-smuggling rings responsible for such journeys. This also follows the appointment of the new Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, who has described small boat crossings as “utterly unacceptable” and vowed to “explore all options” to tackle the issue.

According to official data, over 33,000 individuals have entered the UK via small boats since the start of this year, marking the highest total for this time period since records began in 2018, The Independent reports. Public frustration over illegal immigration has surged, with polls showing it is one of the top concerns among voters. Many see the spike in crossings as a sign that the government has lost control of the nation’s borders, while communities grapple with the strain on housing, healthcare, and schools. This growing discontent has fueled support for Nigel Farage's Reform UK party, which has made a hardline stance on immigration central to its platform. A recent YouGov poll showed Reform UK leading with 29%, ahead of Labour at 21%.

Labour, in contrast, has promised to focus on dismantling people-smuggling networks while maintaining legal migration pathways, aiming for a balanced approach between security and humanitarian obligations. In August, the UK and France signed a treaty allowing for the return of migrants deemed inadmissible in the UK, while the UK agrees to accept an equal number of asylum seekers through legal channels. The first removals under this agreement took place earlier this month.

The Reform UK party, however, has called for the abolition of Indefinite Leave to Remain, requiring settled migrants to reapply under tougher conditions, and for limiting welfare benefits to British citizens only.

In a statement on Sunday, Starmer condemned Farage’s proposals as “racist” and “immoral,” but acknowledged that many who support Reform UK are disillusioned with the government’s slow pace of change.

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