In a dramatic turn of events, over 900 migrants crossed the English Channel to the UK in small boats on Friday, June 13, marking one of the highest daily totals so far this year. At the same time, disturbing scenes unfolded on the French coast, where police officers were seen firing tear gas and using pepper spray to disperse migrant families preparing to board dinghies near Gravelines, close to Calais.
According to data released by the UK Home Office, a total of 919 individuals arrived in 14 small boats, pushing the provisional total for the year to 16,183. This figure represents a sharp 42% rise compared to the same period in 2023 and a 79% increase over 2022, as analyzed by the PA news agency.
While this isn’t the year’s peak—1,195 people made the journey on May 31—it underlines the ongoing surge in Channel crossings, particularly during fair weather conditions. Migrants were pictured arriving at the port of Dover on RNLI lifeboats and Border Force vessels, continuing the trend of daily arrivals that has strained the UK’s immigration system.
On the French side, tensions escalated on Friday morning when police were photographed using tear gas on a crowd of hundreds of migrants, including families and children, who had gathered on the beach to board small boats. One image showed a distressed family recoiling after apparently being hit by tear gas, a stark shift in France’s typically passive stance at the departure points.
French authorities have long faced criticism for not doing enough to stop the crossings, but this more aggressive enforcement suggests a shift in policy—possibly influenced by growing pressure from the UK.
Back in the UK, the government continues to grapple with the rising number of asylum seekers. Chancellor Rachel Reeves recently declared that the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers will end by the close of the current parliament. As part of a wider spending review, she pledged significant investment to reduce the asylum backlog and process appeal cases more quickly, estimating taxpayer savings of £1 billion a year.
“The costly use of hotels is unsustainable,” Reeves told Parliament. “With support from the Home Secretary, we’re taking bold action to fix the system, hear appeals faster, and return those who have no right to stay.”
The Home Office echoed this message, describing small boat crossings as dangerous and a threat to national security. A spokesperson said the government is focused on breaking the smuggling networks that exploit migrants, regardless of the risks to their lives. To do so, the government is investing up to £280 million more per year into the newly formed Border Security Command by 2028-29.
Through this enhanced command, the UK aims to intensify intelligence-sharing with international partners, step up enforcement efforts in northern France, and implement stronger laws under the new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. These steps, the government says, are part of a “serious plan” to stop human trafficking and secure the country’s borders.
As migrant arrivals continue and political tensions rise on both sides of the Channel, the crisis shows no sign of slowing. With tougher enforcement, faster processing, and increased funding, the UK is doubling down on its efforts—but for now, the numbers keep growing.