(File pic) More than 41,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far this year (Image: Getty)

A damning chart shows 2025 is set to record the second-highest total of people crossing the English Channel on small boats in recent years, with just a week of the year remaining. Labour pledged to “reduce small boat arrivals by cracking down on smuggling networks” but as the year draws to a close, there are few signs of the Government’s policies working.

Home Office figures show the number of people arriving has climbed steadily all year, right up to this week. More than 41,000 people have now crossed the Channel in small boats this year, with 803 people arriving on Saturday alone — a record number for a December day when comparing data going back to 2018. December is usually one of the quietest months for Channel crossings, because of the poor weather and shorter days.

Charts showing small boats arrivals to the UK (Image: EXPRESS/HOME OFFICE)

However, 2,163 people arrived this month alone, although this is significantly less than the all-time high of 3,254 in December 2024.

Despite the continued arrivals, 2025 is not now expected to overtake 2022 when 45,755 people — the highest to date, recorded under the Tories — crossed the Channel in small boats.

This year had been on course to be a record-breaking year for the number of Channel crossings until around September, according to the chart.

Analysis shows a surge in small boat crossings between the summer and September of 2022 surpass the numbers in 2025, despite considerably fewer migrants making the journey in the first half of the year.

Labour’s record on tackling illegal immigration has been one of the biggest challenges in Sir Keir Starmer’s rocky tenureship as Prime Minister.

Both the Conservatives and Reform UK have regularly called out the Government’s record on the issue which has continued to attract national attention and headlines.

The Government is continuing efforts to grasp the so-called “upstream” causes of the migration crisis, including through work with neighbouring countries.

Last week, the UK signed a migration pact with Greece to tackle smuggling gangs and provide £1.5 million in extra funding to North African programmes addressing drivers of migration.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, Germany passed a new law which could see people smugglers face up to 10 years in prison for trying to bring migrants to the UK.

The pilot of Labour’s “groundbreaking” so-called ‘One in, One out’ migrant returns deal continues to operate with France, despite warnings from political opponents that the deterrent is not strong enough.