Channel crossings pass RECORD milestone as more than 20,000 illegal migrants arrive in UK under Starmer

More than 20,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel since Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister, official Home Office figures due on Monday are set to reveal.

The milestone comes just five months after Labour took power in July, marking a significant development in the ongoing Channel crossings crisis.

The pace of arrivals under Starmer’s premiership has notably outpaced that of his predecessor, with the 20,000 milestone reached in approximately five months compared to Rishi Sunak’s eight-and-a-half months.

Starmer took office in July, during the peak summer crossing season when weather conditions are most favourable.

By contrast, Sunak’s premiership began in October 2022, with his initial months coinciding with winter conditions when crossings typically decrease.

During his time as Prime Minister, Sunak saw 50,637 Channel migrant arrivals between October 2022 and July 2023.

The seasonal impact on crossing numbers has been significant, with winter months typically seeing fewer attempts due to adverse weather conditions.

Summer months traditionally see higher numbers of crossings, with better weather making the dangerous journey more feasible.

A Labour source said: “Robert Jenrick told the truth last week. He said the Tory Party’s ‘handling of immigration let the country down badly’, and ’caused immense and lasting harm’.”

“The Tories’ gimmicks like Rwanda didn’t work,” the source added. “We have to smash the gangs, secure our borders, tackling this problem upstream.”

Starmer has acknowledged inheriting “an utter mess” in the Home Office from the previous administration.

Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, the Prime Minister said: “Let me say directly to the people watching: where the last government failed you, this one will not. They drove immigration numbers up. We will get them down.”

He emphasised his focus on international cooperation with European law enforcement agencies to reduce arrivals, contrasting with what he called the previous government’s focus on “the Rwanda gimmick.”