Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Politics
David Lynch

Groups arrive in Dover after busy night of small boat Channel crossings

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought into the Border Force compound in Dover (Gareth Fuller/PA) - (PA Wire)

Groups of people thought to be migrants have been brought into Dover by the Border Force, after a series of overnight Channel crossings.

People were witnessed leaving northern France on Friday night and into Saturday on small boats.

Some 40,652 migrants have made the dangerous Channel crossing since the start of 2025, according to analysis of the latest Government figures by the Press Association.

While the number of people making the dangerous journey across the English Channel has risen more swiftly in 2025 than past years, the yearly total has still not surpassed that of 2022, when 45,755 arrived: the highest on record.

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

Just 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 law change, which will come into force before the end of the year, aims to give more powers to law enforcement and prosecutors, and boost information sharing between the UK and Germany.

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought into the Border Force compound in Dover (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)

It follows a deal agreed between the two countries in December last year to tackle illegal migration, including taking action to remove smugglers’ advertising on social media.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “This major change in German law is the result of our close partnership working to tackle illegal migration and organised immigration crime.

“We will continue to ramp up our international co-operation to strengthen our own border security.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.