Starmer has ‘lost control of borders’ after record small boat crossings

Sir Keir Starmer has “lost control” of Britain’s borders after the number of small boat crossings surged to a record high, the Tories have said.

A total of 656 migrants crossed the English Channel on Saturday, taking the number of those crossing this year to more than 8,000.

It is the worst ever start to a year and the total so far is 46 per cent higher than at this point in 2024.

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said the Prime Minister’s pledge to crack down on the gangs lay “in tatters”.

He said: “This news underlines what we all knew – Keir Starmer has lost control of our borders.

“This is the worst start to a year in history for illegal crossings. Starmer’s claims to smash the gangs lie in tatters.

“Having cancelled the Rwanda deterrent before it started and with no replacement, Starmer’s only plan for border protection is to pray for bad weather.”

Figures published on Sunday show that the 656 people arrived on 11 boats – the highest number to arrive in the UK in 2025. On Friday, 180 people arrived in three boats.

It brings the total of small boat crossings so far in 2025 to 8,064. This is already higher than the 7,567 who came in the first four months of 2024.

Mr Philp said: “We have been badly let down by a weak Prime Minister who is more interested in pleasing his human rights lawyer friends than protecting our borders from illegal immigrants – most of whom are young men.

“These crossings are not only illegal: they are unnecessary, as France is a safe country. A removals deterrent is urgently needed to stop the huge numbers of illegal immigrants crossing the channel.”

A spokesman for the Home Office said: “We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.

“The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay, and we will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.

“That’s why this government has put forward a serious, credible plan to finally restore order to our asylum system.

“This includes tougher enforcement powers, ramping up returns to their highest levels for more than half a decade and a major crackdown on illegal working to end the false promise of jobs used by gangs to sell spaces on boats.”