Migrants detected crossing the English Channel in small boats – last 7 days
Updated 23 April 2024
© Crown copyright 2024
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/migrants-detected-crossing-the-english-channel-in-small-boats/migrants-detected-crossing-the-english-channel-in-small-boats-last-7-days
Small boats data
This page shows figures for the last 7 days for irregular migrants detected crossing the English Channel in small boats without permission to enter the UK.
| Date | Migrants detected | Boats detected | Boats involved in uncontrolled landings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 April 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 17 April 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 18 April 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 19 April 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 20 April 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 21 April 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 22 April 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
For journalists:
See the latest press statement on small boat crossings.
A longer time series of daily numbers from 1 January 2018 is also available.
These statistics are taken from provisional operational data and are subject to change. They may differ from figures published in the final official statistics on Irregular migration to the UK, which will have undergone a more thorough quality assurance process.
The data may also differ from daily figures previously published by the Ministry of Defence, due to the point at which arrivals are counted and differences in the counting of ‘boats’ compared to ‘events’. This means that total arrivals over long time periods should be similar between the two sources, but Home Office figures for number of boats detected will be higher than the Ministry of Defence’s figures where boats arriving together would be counted as one.
The quarterly Irregular migration to the UK statistical release presents final and authoritative statistics on small boat arrivals.
About the data
Definition of a small boat
A ‘small boat’ is one of a number of vessels used by individuals who cross the English Channel, with the aim of gaining entry to the UK without a visa or permission to enter – either directly by landing in the UK or having been intercepted at sea by the authorities and brought ashore. The most common small vessels detected making these types of crossings are rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs), dinghies and kayaks.
The data includes individuals who:
- are detected on arrival in the UK
- are detected in the Channel by UK authorities and subsequently brought to the UK
The data does not include individuals who:
- arrive in the UK on larger vessels, such as go-fast craft, yachts, motor cruisers, tugs and fishing vessels – although these are rarely used by irregular migrants at present
- arrive in the UK clandestinely on larger vessels not referenced above, including where hidden in a vehicle on a ferry
- are prevented from departing France, or those intercepted by French authorities and returned to France
- arrive in the UK undetected, or where there have been reports of people making the crossing, but no actual encounters
Uncontrolled landings
‘Boats involved in uncontrolled landings’ are a subset of ‘boats detected’. Uncontrolled landings are boats which arrive without interception. Any people detected in uncontrolled landings are counted in ‘irregular migrants recorded arriving by small boat’.
Related information
Irregular migration to the UK: quarterly data on small boat crossings and other irregular migration routes from 2018 onwards.
Migrants detected crossing the English Channel in small boats - monthly data: data on daily small boat crossings, from 14 April 2022 to 30 January 2023 (historic data published by Ministry of Defence; not updated).