Welcome to Boatwatch. This website takes the daily small boat migrant crossing figures supplied by the Home Office, and presents that as convenient and easy to understand graphs together with some additional data that you won't find anywhere else.
You can read more about the rational behind this website at About This Website, and more about the data we're using and what we're doing with it at About the Data.
Daily and weekly crossings are simple timeline charts. Monthly crossings and yearly comparisons have additional data.
| Date | Migrants | Boats |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 24 July 2025 | 225 | 4 |
| Wednesday 23 July 2025 | 132 | 2 |
| Tuesday 22 July 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Monday 21 July 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Sunday 20 July 2025 | 60 | 1 |
| Saturday 19 July 2025 | 153 | 3 |
| Friday 18 July 2025 | 419 | 6 |
In recent years, the number of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats from France to the UK has risen considerably, becoming a significant political and humanitarian issue.
The majority of these crossings originate from the northern French coast, particularly near Calais and Dunkirk, where migrants gather in makeshift camps. People traffickers frequently exploit individuals by charging high fees for the dangerous journey, which can prove deadly due to poor weather conditions and increasingly overloaded boats.
Successive UK administrations have responded with a series of measures aimed at deterring crossings. These include increased surveillance, patrols along the Channel, and an agreement with the French authorities to strengthen border enforcement. New legislation such as the Illegal Migration Act 2023 has been introduced to prevent those arriving via irregular routes from claiming asylum in the UK.
However, despite the measures taken, the number of people arriving in small boats has remained high. Current figures, as of July, suggest that 2025 will see the highest number of migrants yet.
There is no political consensus on the most appropriate response to this challenge. This website deliberately does not take any partisan position in the debate. But, wherever you stand, there is no substitute for clear, factual data. This website seeks to assist by providing clear, simple graphs and statistics for daily, weekly and monthly crossings.