Illegal Channel Crossing Numbers for 2024

Total illegal crossings for 2024 reached 36,607 which is the second highest on record. The only year with more illegal arrivals was 2022. The weather is the only significant barrier to slow illegal arrivals and in 2022 the weather was favourable across August, September and October increasing the 2022 arrivals to 45,755 for the full year. 2024 saw worse weather across the summer slowing the boat crossings at what is normally the busiest time. Had we had a warmer, calmer summer we could easily have seen similar numbers to the 2022 totals.

One of the more concerning details in the 2024 data is that December, normally a very quiet month for dinghy crossings shows 3254 in total on 63 boats. This was double the amount of arrivals than we have seen in any previous year for December which is not a good sign for reducing the number of economic migrants that we are seeing crossing into the UK illegally.

Illegal Channel Crossings are not Decreasing

All the indicators are that illegal crossings will not reduce any time soon. While the Rwanda deterrent was hardly a deterrent at all, since Two Tier Keir cancelled it when he moved into No.10 there is no absolutely nothing to deter any illegal migration into the UK.

The draw to come the the UK is strong with not only free heated accommodation and 3 meals a day, free phones, free healthcare and dentists but there is also a readily available black market in cash in hand work in both legal and illegal activities.

Starmers pledge to ‘Smash the Gangs’ is hollow in the extreme. The problem is that he intends to smash gangs in different countries where we have no legal authority. The second problem is that the trade is so lucrative that any gang that does get smashed will be replaced within days. Similarly, going after the suppliers of boats is a futile strategy. It is not illegal to sell boats, it is illegal to use them to enter a country as an undocumented arrival. It is akin to blaming car manufacturers if a motorist is caught speeding.

We can only hope that our feeble and weak Labour government gets a grip on the problem in 2025 and polices British waterrs to reduce the number of crossings and limit the massive weekly cost of housing and feeding illegal arrivals which is now running at £8 million per day. This is referred to as the ‘hotel’ cost and may not actually be the total cost that we as tax payers are funding.