London, July 2, 2026 – The Europe Today: The number of migrants arriving in the United Kingdom after crossing the English Channel declined significantly during the first half of 2026, falling 41 percent compared with the same period last year, according to the latest Home Office figures.
Official data showed that 11,884 migrants reached the UK between January and the end of June 2026, down from 19,982 arrivals recorded during the corresponding period in 2025. The figure was also 12 percent lower than the 13,489 arrivals registered in the first six months of 2024.
Compared with earlier years, however, arrivals remained slightly above 2023 levels, rising 4 percent from 11,433, while remaining 7 percent below the 12,747 recorded during the first half of 2022.
Despite the overall decline in crossings, the average number of migrants per boat reached a record high of 65 during the January–June period. This compares with an average of 62 migrants per vessel across the whole of 2025 and 58 per boat during the first six months of last year.
In June alone, 2,742 migrants crossed the English Channel to reach the UK, marking the lowest number of arrivals for the month since 2021.
The decline comes as the UK government continues efforts to curb irregular migration. In April, the government signed a three-year agreement with French authorities worth £662 million to strengthen beach patrols and reduce Channel crossings.
The government is also pursuing broader reforms to the asylum system aimed at deterring illegal crossings, facilitating deportations, and introducing measures that would make refugee status temporary under proposed changes.
