As of February 25, 2026, approximately 600 migrants crossed the English Channel in a single day, marking the biggest one-day surge of 2026 so far.

 

600 Small boat migrants cross Channel in BIGGEST one-day SURGE this year

As of February 25, 2026, approximately 600 migrants crossed the English Channel in a single day, marking the biggest one-day surge of 2026 so far. This increase brings the total number of arrivals for the current year to over 2,000, which is higher than the cumulative totals at this same point in both 2024 and 2025.

 

Key Details of the Surge

Daily Record: Provisional figures from GB News indicate about 590 to 600 people were brought to the port of Ramsgate by Border Force and RNLI vessels.

Previous 2026 High: Before this event, the highest daily arrival count for 2026 was 322 people on February 9.

Weather Impact: The surge followed a fortnight of poor weather that had temporarily halted crossings. The current spike coincided with the "warmest day of the year" so far, with temperatures reaching up to 18°C in southern England.

Migrant Camps: An estimated 4,500 migrants are currently waiting in makeshift camps near Calais and Dunkirk, leading maritime sources to warn of a potentially record-breaking year for arrivals.

Context from 2025

Annual Total: In 2025, a total of 41,472 migrants crossed the Channel, the second-highest annual figure on record after 2022.

2025 Daily Records: The highest single-day total recorded in 2025 was 1,195 people on June 1. Other major surges in 2025 included 1,097 arrivals on September 7 and over 800 on December 21.

Government Policy: Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has introduced a "one-in, one-out" deal with France aimed at detaining and returning arrivals, though critics have noted that only a small number of deportations have occurred relative to the total arrivals.