How many people have crossed the Channel in small boats in 2026?

12,469 people have arrived in the UK by small boat so far in 2026 (to 2026-07-14), 45% lower than the same point in 2025. Source: Home Office daily operational data.

What is the record for small boat crossings in a single day?

The busiest single day on record is 3 September 2022, when 1,305 people arrived. The busiest month on record is August 2022 with 8,631 arrivals.

How many crossings do the French stop?

The Home Office publishes weekly figures for crossings prevented by French authorities from April 2024. In 2026 so far, 6,349 people have been prevented from crossing. Prevention counts attempted crossings stopped before departure or turned back.

Channel Small Boat Crossings: Daily Tracker

Source: Home Office daily operational data (provisional), updated every day. Data to 2026-07-14

12,469 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far in 2026, 45% fewer than at the same point in 2025 (22,504). In the last 7 days: 585 people in 8 boats.

Arrivals YTD 2026

12,469

Same point 2025

22,504

Change YoY

-45%

Last 7 days

585

Stopped by France 2026

6,349

Days since last arrival

Cumulative arrivals: 2026 vs previous years

Running total of small boat arrivals by day of year. The gap between this year's line and previous years is the fastest way to see whether crossings are up or down.

Cumulative arrivals by day of year, 2023-2026. Provisional operational data; finalised figures appear in the quarterly Immigration System Statistics.

Daily arrivals: last 60 days

Daily detected arrivals. Zero-arrival days usually reflect weather in the Channel.

Arrivals vs French preventions (weekly)

Weekly arrivals against crossings stopped by French authorities (recorded from April 2024).

Records

1,305

Busiest day on record

3 September 2022

8,631

Busiest month on record

August 2022

41,472

Total arrivals 2025

Full calendar year

45,755

Record year: 2022

Highest annual total on record

Data Limitations & Caveats

Provisional data. Daily figures are operational counts and are revised; final figures appear in the quarterly Immigration System Statistics (next: 27 August 2026).
Small boats only. Excludes arrivals by lorry, larger vessels, or other clandestine routes, and anyone not detected.
Preventions are attempts, not people, deduplicated. A person stopped by French authorities may attempt again and be counted more than once; prevented crossings cannot be compared 1:1 with arrivals.
Zero days are usually weather. Crossings concentrate in calm conditions; short gaps say little about policy.

Sources: Home Office: Migrants detected crossing the English Channel in small boats (daily page + weekly time-series ODS) | Immigration System Statistics quarterly (finalised figures).