Ministry Of Defence
Details
This page is updated weekly with the latest figures on migrants detected crossing the English Channel in small boats.
From 14 November 2022, any revisions to the number of migrants or small boats detected will be published in the Migrants detected crossing the English Channel in small boats - monthly data webpage.Data from previous months will be removed from this webpage from 1 December 2022. Please see Migrants detected crossing the English Channel in small boats - monthly data to see all data from 14 April 2022.
Data on this page is provisional and may differ from figures published in the official statistics on Irregular migration to the UK, which will have undergone a more thorough quality assurance process.
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.