Small boats spotted crossing Channel overnight

A number of small boats carrying migrants have crossed the English Channel overnight.

Several more vessels appeared to be making the dangerous journey on Saturday morning, with calm weather in the Channel creating the possibility of further crossings.

More than 36,000 people have made the journey so far this year, around a third higher than at the same point in 2024.

The latest crossings come after the UK’s border security chief, tasked with tackling Channel crossings, said the number of arrivals by small boat to the UK is “frustrating” but that work to stop the smuggling route was “always going to take time”.

Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt, who has been in post for a year, rejected the idea it was a “fool’s errand” to go after smuggling gangs and told MPs he was convinced the plan in place “will deliver”.

Speaking to the Commons’ Home Affairs Committee on Thursday, Mr Hewitt said: “I, more than anybody, find the fact that the numbers are where they are frustrating and really challenging, and this issue could not be more high profile.

“But I am convinced that the plan, the sort of cross spectrum plan that we have in place, is a plan that will deliver, but we need to we need to keep pushing and delivering that plan.”

Ministers have been continuing in their efforts to stem the so-called “upstream” causes of the crossings.

Earlier this week, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood met in central London with her counterparts from the western Balkans.

International policing efforts are attempting to crack down on smuggling gangs who have plotted trafficking routes through the region.

Next week, Sir Keir Starmer will host a leaders’ summit with western Balkan countries to agree further measures to bring down the number of migrants arriving illegally to the UK.