Starmer’s small boats record is now officially worse than any other PM | UK | News
Sir Keir Starmer’s handling of the small boats crisis has come under fire (Image: Getty)
Sir Keir Starmer’s handling of the small boats crisis has come under fire as more than 65,870 migrants have completed the perilous 21-mile journey across the Channel in his first 19 months as Prime Minister, reports GB News.
This staggering figure surpasses the 65,815 recorded during Boris Johnson’s 39-month tenure, with Starmer reaching the grim milestone in almost half the time.
A shocking 41,474 migrants crossed the Channel in 2025 alone, with an additional 23,469 arriving on British shores during Starmer’s first six months in power, states the report.
Despite sub-zero temperatures in Calais and Dover earlier this month, provisional figures from GB News show that more than 800 have already made the journey in 2026, including 273 on a single day.
Starmer’s daily average more than double Johnson’s
The milestone moment came shortly after 3.45pm, when Border Force vessel Volunteer arrived in Dover with 65 migrants on board, bringing Starmer’s total to 65,874. This equates to roughly 117 new arrivals per day, more than double Johnson’s average of 58.
In comparison, Rishi Sunak’s 50,420 figure across 22 months averages out at just 81 per day.
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Former migration tsars condemn Starmer’s failure
Starmer’s grim accolade has sparked widespread condemnation from former Home Office migration tsars. Reform UK MP Robert Jenrick, who resigned as Migration Minister under Rishi Sunak, told GB News: “Starmer has given the country a masterclass in how not to secure our borders. The damage caused by his failure to Brits across the country is unforgivable.”
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp added: “Keir Starmer has thrown open the border and rolled out the welcome mat for illegal immigrants. He doesn’t have the backbone to confront the consequences of his own choices.”
Despite the record-breaking figures, Labour has made tackling the small boats crisis a top priority since winning the 2024 General Election. The Home Office has introduced expanded powers to disrupt smuggling gangs and seize mobile phones from those suspected of crossing the Channel.
A record-breaking 17,400 illegal worker raids have also taken place since Labour came to power, resulting in more than 12,300 arrests.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood hailed Labour’s “one-in, one-out” deal with France (Image: Getty)
Total arrivals since 2018 equal to population of York
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood hailed Labour’s “one-in, one-out” deal with France as a key deterrent to curb crossings, with reforms to the asylum system also rolled out to dissuade migrants from making the journey.
The total number of arrivals since the start of the Channel crossing crisis in 2018 now stands at almost 195,000, roughly equal to the population of York.
A Home Office spokesman said: “This Government is bearing down on small boat crossings. We have stopped 40,000 crossing attempts since this Government came into office through our joint work with the French. We have detained and removed almost 50,000 people who were here illegally.”
