The number of migrants reaching the UK in small boats in a single day hits a 2025 high
LONDON (AP) — U.K. government figures Sunday showed that more than 1,100 migrants arrived in the country on Saturday in small boats from France across the English Channel, the highest number recorded on a single day so far this year.
The latest Home Office figures show that 1,194 migrants arrived in 18 boats on Saturday in what were settled weather conditions, bringing the provisional annual total so far to 14,811.
That's 42% higher than the same point last year, an increase that has piled pressure on the Labour government, which returned to power nearly a year ago partly on disillusionment with the previous Conservative administration 's efforts to get a grip on the the numbers making the crossing.
Having ditched the Conservative government's plan to send migrants who arrived in the U.K. by unauthorized means to Rwanda, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government would get control by smashing the gangs and the business models that sustain their smuggling operations.
Since gaining power, Starmer's government has sought better intelligence-sharing internationally, enhanced enforcement operations in northern France and has adopted tougher rules in its immigration legislation.
French police officers were seen watching Saturday as migrants boarded at a beach in Gravelines, between Calais and Dunkirk, and authorities were then pictured escorting the boats. French authorities said they rescued 184 people.
'Pretty shocking, those scenes yesterday," Defense Secretary John Healey told Sky News.
He added that it is a 'really big problem' that French police are unable to intervene to intercept boats in shallow waters, adding that the U.K. is pressing for the French to put new rules into operation so they can intervene.
'They're not doing it, but, but for the first time for years … we've got the level of cooperation needed," he told Sky News. 'We've got the agreement that they will change the way they work, and our concentration now is to push them to get that into operation so they can intercept these smugglers and stop these people in the boats, not just on the shore.'
Despite French and U.K. efforts, the cross-Channel route, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, remains a major smuggling corridor for people fleeing conflict or poverty. Many migrants favor the U.K. for reasons of language, family ties or perceived easier access to asylum and work.
The Home Office says 36,816 people arrived in the UK on small boats in 2024, 25% more than in 2023 (29,437). The highest number of arrivals was in 2022, with 45,774.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
2 hours ago
- Bloomberg
IDP Education Reviews Costs As International Student Numbers Dip
Student placement group IDP Education Ltd. is undertaking a detailed cost and productivity review, as the international student market continues to be hit by global policy uncertainty. Sydney-listed IDP said there was heightened unpredictability in the UK, with further restrictions on student immigration expected, while the international student environment in the US was increasingly negative. Restrictive policies remained in place in Australia and Canada.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Starmer's family business death tax won't help keep us safe
To govern is to choose. And this week we have heard ad nausem from Sir Keir Starmer about the tough choices he claims he is having to make to fund our islands' defence. Or rather presumably would have to make in order to get to a firm 3 per cent of GDP in this Parliament rather than the equivocal 3 per cent at the end of the next one he will not even commit to. But amidst the menu of choices, like the Chagos surrender costing our forces £100 million a year, there's one very easy choice that would pay back on many levels. To reverse his family business (and family farm) death tax. This prejudiced decision may turn out, according to new analysis, to cost more money than it raises, punishes aspiration and risks wiping out centuries-old businesses in a single parliamentary term. New independent research published by CBI economics confirmed in another example of Rachel Reeves's dodgy accountancy that this one tax will put 200,000 jobs at risk and lower the size of the wider economy by £15 billion. The Prime Minister must not go ahead with it. Family businesses represent years of work, skills and investments made, passed down carefully through generations. They currently receive relief on inheritance tax when passing it down to the next custodians. This is a feature introduced by a previous Labour government to ensure the success of a constituent part of the economy providing 14 million jobs in the UK. But this is an anti-business government, driven by what works in socialist screeds rather than the shop floor. So, it's no wonder Starmer and his ministers are intent on attacking them. The Cabinet don't have any real business experience between them – the Business Secretary [Jonathan Reynolds] embarrassingly lied on his CV even about being a qualified lawyer – and it shows. Labour came into the general election promising not to tax working people, but that is exactly what they are doing. This is a small business death tax, which will be paid for in the jobs of working people. While some businesses' assets may be valuable on paper, they don't equate to hard cash. There are plenty of family businesses for whom being forced to sell assets (like machinery) on the factory floor will mean emptying the factory floor. They're asset rich but cash poor – and they'll be forced to shut up shop. This is the latest in a long line of decisions aimed squarely at punishing wealth creators and risk takers by a government that at the most charitable interpretation doesn't know about business interests, nor foresee the outcome of their assaults on business. All the more reason to listen when independent forecasters say your numbers are wrong. More shockingly, what started as a pre-election prawn cocktail offensive aimed at charming business has become an all-out war on private enterprise. Because this is only the start. The Employment Bill, which will do the exact opposite of what it says on the tin, is costing businesses £5 billion and allows trade unions to reconquer private businesses. Many of those who won't be able to cope with its hundreds of pages more regulations will be the same small, family businesses already suffering under the burden of the death tax. As part of my role as shadow business secretary, I have been going around the country engaging with businesses from the biggest automotive firms to village shops. All seriously worried about what this government will do next. It is no wonder that there has been an exodus of wealth creators since Starmer has taken office. Last year, over 10,000 millionaires fled Labour's socialist attacks on businesses and wealth creators. The tax bills they took with them are the equivalent of losing 300,000 average taxpayers. These are ambitious, courageous people, many of them entrepreneurs who have choices – and they're not choosing Labour's Britain. These people create jobs, drive growth, and pay for our public services. We will all be worse off without them. But still, Reeves dogmatically ploughs on, not paying attention to the warning lights on the dashboard flashing red or the millionaires leaving every 45 minutes. It is a stark reminder of what socialists are capable of when they get their hands of the levers of power. The Conservatives understand family businesses and wealth creators because so many of us have worked in the private sector. While other parties fight over who can spend the fastest more taxpayers' money we cannot afford, we continue to advocate for government that spends only within its means and balances its books without fiddling the rules. That means making the genuinely tough choices that will prioritise defence over ballooning welfare costs. We know that those who start businesses are taking a risk. We need to create a society where people aren't afraid to fail and are rewarded for those risks when they pay off. At the very least, those who start family businesses should know that they are able to pass their business down to the next generation. Unless the Prime Minister sees sense soon, Britain's legion of quietly successful family business will be consigned to the dustbin of history and our future with them. Andrew Griffith is the Conservative shadow business and trade secretary Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Warning over TikTok food sellers not listing allergens
TikTok users are selling food without listing allergen information, the BBC has found. Listings on TikTok Shop show people selling snacks and sweets without highlighting they contain one of the 14 main allergens that UK businesses are legally required to declare. When the BBC brought these listings to TikTok's attention, it deleted them and said: "TikTok Shop is committed to providing a safe and trustworthy shopping experience." Simon Williams, chief executive of Anaphylaxis UK, warned allergy suffers: "If the ingredient and allergen information isn't there, don't buy it. You're putting your life in grave danger." "We have policies and processes in place with our sellers to ensure the safety of food and beverages sold on our platform and we will remove products that breach these policies," a TikTok spokesperson said. However, it is currently possible to sell food on TikTok Shop without providing any ingredient or allergy information. The BBC found one seller, Mega Buy UK, selling a sweet treat related to the popular Netflix show Squid Game and listed the ingredients and allergens as "not applicable". Another UK-based seller called The Nashville Burger listed a burger-making kit that contained milk - one of the 14 allergens food businesses in the UK are required to declare on labels. It also contained wheat - which should be listed as an allergen under cereals containing gluten. However, on TikTok Shop, the allergen information was given as "spices" and the ingredient description simply said "flour". The BBC also found a seller called UK Snack Supply advertising lollipops and crisps with no ingredient or allergen information. TikTok has deleted the adverts the BBC highlighted, but all three companies are still on TikTok Shop selling other products without providing full allergen information. The BBC has approached all of these sellers for comment but could not independently verify that the sellers were all listed in the UK. However, allergy charities say regardless of where the firms are based more should be done to keep consumers safe. TikTok is a place where food trends go viral - from the pickle challenge which involved eating a hot pickle wrapped in a fruit roll-up - to Dubai chocolate which sparked a shopping frenzy. And while users consume the videos TikTok has also become a platform to buy and sell a bite of the action. Kate Lancaster's two children both have milk allergies and she regularly posts advice on TikTok as The Dairy Free Mum. She thinks TikTok has a responsibility to ensure all products sold on its shopping platform meet safety and labelling standards. "It's completely unacceptable and really worrying. Failing to provide ingredient information is potentially very dangerous, and it feels like a complete disregard for the safety of those living with food allergies," she said. Tanya Ednan-Laperouse co-founded The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation in the name of her daughter who died after an allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger sandwich. She said: "'TikTok is responsible for ensuring that all their UK food sellers meet legislative requirements to sell food products on their app. "Any that don't should be immediately removed from the app and investigated, but ideally this should not happen if their checks and balances are rigorous and in place." After her daughter's death, new safety rules, known as "Natasha's Law", were introduced which require full ingredient and allergen labelling on all food made on premises and pre-packed for direct sale. Kate believes TikTok is allowing sellers to "swerve" basic food labelling requirements as the app allows people not to list any ingredients at all and thinks the platform should penalise those who don't provide the correct information. "Since Natasha's Law has come into effect I feel that, in general, allergy labelling has improved, but it's frightening that a huge platform like TikTok does not have adequate measures to ensure that labelling is in place," she said. "The thought of someone with a food allergy, or an allergy parent, buying items that they assume are safe, when in fact they may not be, is really scary." Mr Williams from Anaphylaxis UK says the ultimate responsibility lies with the seller but does think TikTok could do more. "At the moment it's being used as a platform to sell things that may not be safe. They [TikTok] do need to do more," he said, "There's a lot of people making a lot of money, great side hustle, but they're putting people at risk." Dr James Cooper, deputy director of food policy at the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which is responsible for food safety in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, said: "Wherever people buy their food, it needs to be safe and what it says it is. "Food businesses in the UK must be registered with their local authority and follow food law. All food businesses have a legal responsibility to sell safe food and provide allergen information." The FSA website says that if food is sold online or over the phone through "distance selling" then allergen information must be provided at two different stages in the order process. This usually means providing allergy information in the online description and then also on the packaging so a buyer has two opportunities to check if their allergy could be triggered.
